The Assassin and the Lone Gunman
by PurpleNinjaCat278
Summary: Me and my sister, Anna, have devoted our lives to the Creed, and rid the world of the Templars, but everything changed when I met the Lone Gunman. The Jelsa Fandom takes a plunge in the Assassin's Creed Universe. Knowledge of Assassin's Creed is not needed. Elsa's side of the story.
1. Prologue

**Hello, welcome! I'm glad you decided to drop by because, oh boy, you're in for a wild ride. As I described in the summary, this takes place in an Assassin's Creed AU, but with Frozen and Rise of the Guardians characters instead. **

**Before you move on, I would like to recommend also reading the work by my friend, _Dr. Archangel_. Technically, we're both collaborating on this story, but in pairs. He has his own fanfiction that goes by the same name, but his side of the story is in Jack's POV, while mine is in Elsa's. So go give it a read if you want to understand everything going on!**

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It was the darkest of all nights; the new moon shined blankly behind patches of misty clouds translucent with blackness of the nighttime sky, and tiny glittering stars that bestowed little to no light dotted along the horizon like specks of bright paint on an overly dull-colored canvas. Judging by how high the shadowed moon was perched, it was close to midnight. I shifted uncomfortably in the saddle and spurred my horse, urging him to gallop faster along the dirt road. The wintry December air collided with my face, numbing my cheeks with wispy, brisk tendrils. My eyes watered from both the chill and the strong gust of the rapid velocity, but I blinked them away, determined to stay focus on the task ahead.

My name is Elizabeth Winters, but I commonly go by as Elsa. I am what you call an Assassin: guardian of the innocent, pursuer of the corrupted, fighter for free will, the menace within the shadows… you can call me whatever; however, I follow one and only creed: Nothing is true, everything is permitted. As an Assassin, my main goal was to eliminate any Templars seeking dominance by using corruption and unjust behavior, whether it was owning an illegal slaving business or promoting the confinement of freedom. It was my job to kill the target by any means necessary.

The forest of spruce trees and undergrowth surrounded me on either side of the pathway. It whizzed by in a blur of dark green and white, the color of fresh snow that blanketed the ground. After a minute passed, snowflakes swirled in the air; at first they were a thin shower of flurries, but then it began to look like fluffy cotton balls were raining down from above. I sighed, watching as my breath created a smoky cloud against the cold. As much as I loved winter and the snow it brought, the pass few days of nothing but ice crystals falling from the sky proved to be an annoyance. Not to mention the struggle of traveling through mounds of snow and the troublesome of wearing so many heavy layers of clothing.

I looked down at the outfit I wore, but only briefly. It was what any Assassin would typically don while completing assassination contracts, or perhaps just going out on an adventure. Mine was different – though vaguely – from most Assassins whom I knew of. It was a white and blue robe, consisting of multiple leather straps over my chest and waist that carried numerous weapons. The pants that I wore were dark, and fitted me perfectly with slight looseness to still keep me agile, yet comfortable at the same time. The only article of clothing – and it technically was not considered clothing – that stood out from the whites, blues, and darks, was a red sash tied around my waist, and hung down in a single ribbon. It was the mark of the Assassin, symbolizing the blood of the corrupted that would be spilled.

Boots were an essential part of an Assassin's wardrobe; mine were dark brown and leather and reached nearly to my knees. They were very useful, demonstrating to withstand the rough elements of running over various terrain and even riding horses. I even used them to finish off enemies with a quick blow to the head or spinal cord, and yet they still managed to remain intact, but with permanent stains of both grime and blood which I didn't mind one bit.

I returned my eyes back to the pathway ahead, hands gripping at the reins. The echo of pounding hooves behind me forced me to glance back. Through the haze of darkness and churning snowflakes, I squinted and saw a dark figure on horseback approaching me. I smirked, knowing exactly who it was. They were no stranger, for I was riding right through a rather uninhabited part of the province. As they neared me, their horse slowed to a steady pace next to mine. They pulled off their white hood, revealing bright strawberry blonde hair weaved in twin braids and a flushed freckled face.

"It's about time," I muttered, snickering, and looked teasingly to my younger sister.

"Hey, you didn't tell me that you were taking a short cut!" Anna fired back, teal eyes flashing with flustered anger.

I laughed. "Well, you caught up with me and you're alive, so be thankful."

She huffed, but said nothing more. I grinned to myself, clutching the reins loosely with one hand and setting the other on my thigh.

Anna and I were always close, like most sisters were, but we had little fights here and there. But in the end, we forgave each other and all was well. Besides, she was the only family I had left. When we were children, our parents were murdered in cold blood right in front of our eyes. It started as a happy day about fourteen years ago – when I was eight years old and Anna was five – and my family was trekking through the woods, trying to find a good spot for a picnic. However, we didn't realize the terror that was going to unfold soon after.

Bandits assaulted us, and our father even risked his own life to protect ours, but ultimately died in the process. The bandits took our mother and made us watch as they slit her throat, slowly and painstakingly unbearable. When the last remaining sparks of life departed from her body, Anna and I were devastated, blubbering and begging for mercy. I was pained by feelings of both fear and rage, but I was only a little girl, a worthless, weak girl. I couldn't stand up for myself.

We were saved, just in time too, by a mysterious hooded man. He fended off the bandits and ended every single one of their wretched lives. I watched with intrigue at the way he moved, the way he wield a pair of blades hidden under the sleeves of his white robes, and how he majestically flew in for the kill. The man was called Marco, and to this day he is still Anna's and my mentor, even though we were almost considered full-fledge members of the Order. He was gentle with us during our most tragic time, and suggested an offer. He would care for us with warm shelter and food, but we had to train under his command and become Assassins. He knew I craved revenge, he saw the burning desire in my eyes, and he wanted me to fight against the wicked and corrupted, but as an Assassin.

Anna and I agreed to his offer, and here we are today.

"Who's our target again?" Anna asked after a period of silence.

"His name is Fredrik Leighton," I said, keeping my eyes glued to the road ahead.

"Okay, but what does he do for a living?"

"He's secretly a Templar, for one thing, and he also is involved in human trafficking."

"Got it. Any goons that we should look out for?"

"He has his own personal 'bodyguards' but I think they're just drunkards whom he hired for his advantage." I explained, casting a glance at her.

Anna nodded, and we advanced forward. The pathway took a slight curve to a longer stretch of dirt road that lead into darkness. I slowed my horse, holding out a hand, and Anna noticed, pulling gently at the reins to reduce her stallion's speed. I dismounted and guided my horse off of the trail and behind a barrier of dense thicket to hide him away. Anna stared at me, but eventually followed after me.

"What are you doing?" Anna asked as I tied my horse to the tree trunk, and she did the same thing unknowingly.

"I thought we should travel by foot for now," I said, and then glanced up, a smile pricking at my lips. "Or particularly, by the treetops."

"Treetops?" Anna blinked at me.

"Well, yeah," I turned on my heels, gesturing for her to follow, and began walking. "You've climbed trees before, right?"

"Yeah," she stated numbly. "Oh okay, let's do it."

I spotted a fallen tree trunk leaning on another tree, and leapt onto it, spreading my arms out to keep balance. The muscles in my calves scrunched up and released with exertion as I grabbed onto the jutting limb of the tree, swinging myself upon it. Cold wind blew in my face, disrupting my focus and causing me to squeeze my eyes shut. But I kept a firm grip on the rough bark, and continued jumping onto the neighboring trees that acted like stones in a stream. Anna lagged a bit behind me and judging by the occasional shuffling and tiny gasps, she was having much more difficulty maneuvering with ease.

"Come on, Anna!" I called back, giggling under my breath. "Keep up!"

"Easy for you to say!" she responded, and elicited a grunt as she latched onto a thick branch right before plummeting to the snowy forest floor below. I shook my head, grinning, and climbed a row of connecting tree limbs like monkey bars. As I perched on the last remaining branch before hitting a clearing, I paused, gazing out at the view. There were lanterns in the distance, shimmering golden orbs that glowed against the dark of the night. And in the presence of them were small houses alit within with orange hearths. The faint buzz of activity reached my ears, all sounds of chattering or the clanking of horse hooves against the hard ground.

Anna finally landed beside me and before she could move away, I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Look," I said, pointing out. "I think that's Fredrik's hideout."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Well, this forest is practically vacant and barren," I strained my eyes down at the outpost before the entrance of the small village. Two guards stood in midnight cloaks and caps, holding rifles with bayonets fixed at the nozzle. "Besides, there are two armed guards down there. I'm pretty sure that is a sign that some shady business is being conducted within the gates."

"Right, so when do we go in for the kill?" Anna unsheathed one of her hidden blades, her finger skimming over the gleaming metal.

"Patience, my dear sister," I said, and her blade shot back into the leather brace on her forearm.

"Fine," Anna muttered, gruffly. "Wait, I'm going to stay up here."

I give her a look, but she raises a hand as if to stop me from speaking.

"While you're down there, fighting your way through, I'm going to stick to the treetops –" She reaches behind and takes the glossy wooden bow off from around herself. Holding it firmly with one hand, she brushes her fingers teasingly over the feathered fletches of the arrows in the quiver strapped on her back. "– and take down any guards to help you out." She grins smugly, and I just roll my eyes.

"Okay, you do that. But try not to shoot me." I said with a small smile. That was more of sarcasm since Anna was probably the best archer that I have ever known. The bow was her primary weapon, as well as her favorite method of killing off targets, but from a safe distance away. She treated it basically like her own child, but I couldn't poke fun of her for that. It's the same way for me and my two tang swords.

I drew my hood over my head, tucking my blonde braid out of sight, and descended to lower ground. As I cautiously crept toward my destination, I heard Anna call down to me in a joking tone, "No promises!" and I smirked, maintaining my steady pace around the village. The walls enclosing the place were made out of short, spiked timber stacked insufficiently next to each other; typical of such a poor and cheap community. I found another entrance where two more guards were stationed, standing stiffly with sharpened swords at their sides. I silently hid behind a tree trunk, peeking around. The first thing that came to mind was a mere distraction.

A small stone laid only inches from my feet, so I stooped down to pick it up. Churning it over a few times with my fingers, I flicked my arm out and threw the rock right at the guards. It hit one of them on the thigh and as he cried out, I shrank back into cover.

"What the fuck?" The guard grumbled, and I looked out to see him kicking angrily at the stone, his darkened gaze scanning around. The other guard was silent, staring at both the man and nothing in particular, probably contemplating over what just happened. "Come on, let's go check this out." He was making his way toward my exact hiding spot, hand on his sword's handle, and the other man followed after.

I pressed up against the tree trunk, holding my breath as I listened carefully to his lumbering footsteps. Right when he was nearly next to me – to the point where I could smell the alcohol from his reeking breath – my arms shot out and wrapped around his neck. I squeezed with every ounce of muscle fiber I had until his gurgling stopped and he subsided into unconsciousness. As I placed his folded up body at the base of the tree, the other guard found me. But he froze in his tracks as if he had just seen a ghost. His face went pale, eyes widening in fear.

I didn't give him much time to think. I ran forward, knocking him to the ground. My hidden blade sprung out and I shoved it into his throat. By the time he exhaled his last breath, drowning in a pool of his own blood, I stood up, wiping the sticky crimson on my pants. I continued into the village and remained unseen as I scurried behind buildings. There weren't as many guards patrolling, to my relief, but they were there, though scarcely. I jumped up, grabbing a protruding metal bar from a small house, and heaved myself onto the roof to get a better view point.

The place was more or less a village, but perhaps just a regular camp. From what I could see through the darkness, groups of men stood around campfires, drinking and laughing loudly. I won't be able to spot Fredrik if I hang up here any longer. I need to actually engage in conflict, even though Assassins are advised to use stealth when overthrowing their enemies. I dropped to the ground, rolling to a stop, but darted into hiding as an incoming crowd of people emerged out of nowhere. I snuck a glance, but only to see a rather elegant man.

He wore a sleek, navy blue uniform adorned with polished buttons, metal armor pieces, and leather straps. There was a dark sheath holding a sword and a simple flintlock pistol attached to his belt. His neatly brushed copper hair and handsome face completely contrasted the dirtied look of the guards flanking him on both sides. They passed by in silence, their boots producing heavy echoes through the chilling air. I stood as still as I could, breathing in and out very slowly.

That had to be him; that had to be Fredrik. Just the way that he moved and appeared as the exact embodiment of grace screamed "_he's the one…"_ I knew for a fact that he deemed himself leader of these pack of savages, and mostly ran the business of human trafficking. When they finally elapsed out of sight, I silently made my way after them, but occasionally slipped into hiding whenever one of them would glimpse back.

The group reached an open area free of any surrounding buildings. I clambered up a pile of crates and barrels to higher elevation upon a wooden rod. Fredrik and his goons stood around, waiting patiently, as another cluster of armed men walked toward them. I noticed that the leading man had a young woman by the arm, dragging her rather roughly along with him. From what I could see, she was dainty and quite young, maybe around my age or younger. Her long, light brown hair was disheveled and her skin unhealthily pale, with the marks of many harsh beatings. She was dressed scantily with only a ripped, white gown hanging on her slender frame.

She looked miserable, and only one thought breached my mind as I stared at her: she was a sex slave. This was a trade between such cruel monsters. I had to intervene, or she would surely be a goner. Movement caught my attention and I directed my gaze downwards. There were two men right below me, idly standing around and exchanging soft-spoken words. I dropped down with both arms outstretched and hidden blades poised. The impact slightly winded me, but at least the two guards were taken care of. I decided I had enough with stealth. Time for these bastards to die.

I bolted at full speed and the group of men came into view. A few of them perceived the noise I was making and glanced around, but I already had wield my Lorenzoni pistol. I pulled the trigger, wincing at the loud bang, but grinned slyly as I brought down at least two men with one explosion of gunpowder and a bullet combined. I repeated this several times until I was out of bullets and had no time to reload. The remaining men unsheathed their weapons and charged at me. Ramming the pistol back into the holster on my hip, I slid my dual swords out of their sheaths and held them out protectively in front of me.

The girl was thrown onto the ground by her captive who was storming towards me, gripping a curved sword. She scrambled on her hands and knees as she tried to avoid getting stuck in the fighting. But as she was doing so, another man aimed a rifle straight at her. Though the blood was roaring my ears, I rush over and slam into her attacker with my shoulder. He fell to the ground with a surprised yelp. I grabbed her arms and helped her up, gently shoving her away.

"Go, run!" I cried, and she nods without hesitation, turning around and dashing away. I faced the man lying on his back and finished him off with a quick slash to the throat. The other men have encircled me, spewing curses and threats. They all attack at once, but I was quicker. I dodged the thrust of a sword and impaled the assailant right through the chest, twisting the blade clean out of his flesh. My arms swung around in all angles, slicing through an arm there and piercing a vital organ here. I felt free and alive, like I was a raging fire that could not be extinguished.

When they were all dead, splayed on the ground in a tangle of blood and crooked limbs, I stood over the bodies, erect and dignified. There was a splatter of blood on my cheek, so I wiped it away with the back of my gloved hand. Now I only had to execute one more target, and my mission would be complete, as well as a total success. I suddenly heard the slump of weight behind me and whirled around to see a man sprawled facedown, an arrow plunged deep into his back.

I smiled, murmuring, "Thanks, sis," and jogged away from the very carnage that I had created. My eyes swiveled around, ultimately spotting Fredrik who was running away, a frightened expression on his face. What a coward he was. Abandoning his own guards and fleeing? I would expect more from a simpleton. I pursed him, vaulting over crates and sliding under tables in a race to reach him.

"Stay back, Assassin!" He yelled at me, but I pretended as if I didn't hear it clearly. I pulled out my other pistol – a simple flintlock that shot only a single bullet at a time – and fired at his knee. It struck him precisely and he stumbled to the ground, crying out. I stopped, taking the time to reload and slip the firearm back into the holster. Fredrik was clutching at his knee and crawled away on his back, facing me with a dreadful gloom over his face.

"Now," I said, taking one of my swords out. "time to finish this."

And with that, I plunged it into his heart.


	2. Chapter 1

I awoke to sunlight filtering through the window, basking my face with a warm glow. My eyes opened, slowly, and immediately shut as the light pierced my vision, sending prickles of pain deep into my eye sockets. I groaned and rolled over away from the bright shine, pulling the wool blankets that were entangled with my body over my head. I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to come again, but it refused, leaving me in the dark world or consciousness. When the heat within the bed covers proved to be too much for my taste, I breached, inhaling a breath of fresh, cool air.

My chamber was small, but it had just enough space for me to move around comfortably. It was enclosed by four walls of solid concrete with a flat, wooden ceiling and floor. A rug made completely out of soft bear fur covered the wood planked floor, just beside my bed, which made life easier for the never-ending aches and callouses on my feet. There was a gray tapestry hanging on the wall directly across from me with the Assassins symbol sewed out of red thread. I had a small lantern on my study, where I would write letters and paperwork, but it was the only light source in my room, and some nights were exceptionally dark due to the dim lighting.

I sat up, stretching my arms and stifling a yawn as I swung my legs over the bed. I went over to the glossy mahogany wardrobe in the corner of the room and pulled open the cabinets. My eyes swept over the array of clothing, some ranging from distressed shirts to beautiful dresses, most of which I never wore. I frowned as my fingers brushed over the silky fabric of a particular icy blue, flowing dress. It belonged to my mother and while she absolutely loved it and donned it frequently, she decided to pass it down to me. Who knew that after such short time would this dress be the only existing memory I had left of her. I never bothered wearing it, hell, I actually never wore dresses at all. I always thought they were too fancy and gaudy for me. But maybe, just maybe, I may put it up to good use in the future.

Next to the bundle of dresses was my Assassin costume displayed upon a headless mannequin. It gleamed with glory, completely overshadowing the rest of the unimportant clothing within the wardrobe. The whites and blues shined brilliantly against the armored leather clinging on the shoulders, arms, and torso. My weapons were not attached on the belts and straps crisscrossing over the outfit, but were instead stored in the locked chest also located inside my room.

There was a sudden knock at my door, disrupting my collected thinking. I looked to the door, sighing quietly, and snatched up a pair of beige trousers, a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, and dark boots. It was good enough, and besides, I was just loitering around the bureau for the day, unless I had training to do or Marco was to assign me to a contract.

"Come in!" I said as I flung the clothing onto the bed and walked up to it, fingers smoothing out the creases of the shirt.

The door went ajar and Anna poked in, smiling brightly. "Good morning!" she chimed and stepped inside, leaving the door open behind her. She wore similar attire to what I had picked out, but with black pants and a gray jacket as a substitute.

"Hey," I said meekly and smiled.

"Breakfast's ready in the chow hall," she mentioned, leaning on the sturdy frame of the wardrobe. "You best get ready before all the food is gone."

I laughed. "Right. The last time that happened I wasn't a happy camper."

"Neither was I," Anna smirked. "I think eggs and bacon is on the menu for today, but I'm not sure. Anyways, I'll let you get dressed." She gave me a small wave before slipping out and closing the door tightly. I stripped off the loose sleepwear that I currently wore and pulled on my new outfit. As I tugged my boots on and strapped on the buckles, I paced over to the dresser that was accompanied by a mirror.

The first thing that I saw was a girl, but not just any girl. She was a girl marred by years of endless fighting and missions that nearly lead to death. At the moment, her pale blonde hair flowed down in disheveled waves that gave a dull luster in the morning light. Her eyes glowed with a frazzled aura that sunk deep below the bright blue orbs. Not to mention the one too many scars that marked her rather pretty face. A small scar over her eyebrow there and an unnoticeable blemish tracing her jawline here; these permanent markings were no surprise of her.

There was one scar, however, that was very remarkable, yet it caught the essence of her appearance. It was right under her right eye, grazing upon her cheek. It was about a finger's length, and as wicked looking as could be. It was acquired a few years from a fight with a Templar and his guards that proved to be quite a challenge. This did not change the girl's attitude, for she remained the same throughout.

But this is not a different girl. This is me.

I grabbed the brush on the dresser's smooth, wooden surface and combed out the tangles in my hair. After it was groomed out, I styled it into my trademark plait. My fingers weaved the strands of hair with no difficultly and in little time. I have done this so much that it was as basic as breathing.

When everything was done and I was content with the way I looked, to the say the least, I moved out of my room and steadily began making my way toward the dining hall. The Assassin bureau consisted of many connecting hallways and rooms that held a specific importance within the place. The hall that I was walking through was where the bedrooms were found, and where the members residing would sleep. The bureau was not as large compared to others that I have heard of, but had not set foot in.

As I turned the corner to the corridor that eventually lead to the dining hall, a voice rang out in the still air just behind me.

"Hey Elsa!" I glanced back to see Mia bounce up to me. I smiled as she joined along my side. I always liked Mia. She reminded me of Anna, but maybe a bit calmer. She was recruited into the Assassins years after Anna and I were. Being only eighteen years of age, she was a master at stealth and performing quick kills. Though she disliked the very fact of killing, she did it with much precision and grace that I almost envy her talent. I didn't know much about Mia's past childhood or if she even had any family left. She was so secretive, and shied away from matters like that.

"Hi Mia," I said. "What're you up to?"

She shrugged her thin shoulders. "Just going to get some breakfast. You?"

"Same here," I snorted a laugh.

"Great! Then we can walk together to the dining hall." Her brown eyes sparkled with the gentle curve of his lips, and I grinned back to her. We entered the hall where meals were usually eaten. It was a spacious chamber with rows of benches attached to long tables. The room buzzed with activity and most of the tables were filled with members of the bureau, eating or talking with each other. I spotted Anna sitting by herself at the table nearest to the corner, so walked over with Mia at my side.

"Ooh, hi guys!" Anna greeted us as she placed her fork on her plate. There were two other plates on the table besides hers, all of which were slathered with steaming eggs and bacon. "Oh, you don't have to go up and get any food," she said. "I already got it covered."

"Wow, thanks!" Mia plopped down next to Anna and began shoveling mounds of scrambled eggs into her mouth.

"Yeah, I appreciate it." I said and sat adjacent from the two.

After breakfast, the three of us disbanded on our separate ways. Anna went down to the training room to do archery practice and Mia retired to her bedroom for some afternoon reading. I had nothing in mind of what to do. Marco hasn't come to me for contracts or favors, and frankly, I didn't feel like going outside for some adventuring. I decided that maybe watching Anna shoot at bulls eye targets and stuffed dummies could be more interesting than roaming the quiet bureau hallways.

The training room was only a few steps straight down a narrow corridor and to the door on the right. It was dank and dim inside, but at least Anna was the only person occupying the space. She had her quiver slung across her chest and she was poised with bow in hand. An arrow was loosened from her fingers as I walked in. The sharpened shaft whizzed through the air and lodged into the head section of the dummy standing on the other side.

"Nice," I complimented, causing Anna to look in my direction. She smirked and strung another arrow on the bowstring. As she got into stance to shoot, I stepped further into the chamber, my gaze skimming over every notable aspect. Along with the targets and dummies, there were racks with weapons ranging from rifles to blades aligned on them. Torches were strewn on the stone walls, casting an orange glow in the darkish place. A small obstacle course, plus some metal railings and wooden crates, were set up for the purpose of improving your parkour skills.

I went up to one of the metal bars and jumped up, hands latching on. For a moment, I just hung there, suspended in air like a leaf floating in calm waters. My muscles in my arms constricted, burning at first from the intense exertion, and I managed to pull all of my body weight up. I balanced myself upon the bar and continued observing Anna from high up as she shot a few more times at multiple targets. I was so focused on her marksmanship that I never noticed another person breach the room.

"Elsa!" I recognized the sharp Italian accent and my eyes tore away from Anna to the man standing below me.

"Marco!" I grabbed the bar and dropped down. The impact of the hard ground on my feet stung, but it subsided back to normal. "What is it, sir?" He was silent for a second, his gray eyes studying me properly. Marco has never ceased to amaze me with how young he looked, even though he was well above his forties. His chestnut hair was neatly brushed back and his chin was covered in thin whiskers. He wore elegant robes that were a combination of dazzling whites and reds with the Assassin insignia bonded on his leather belt.

He leaned in closer to me, and said in a whisper that only I could hear, "I have urgent news, please, follow me." He spun around, motioning with his hand without even looking back. I glanced at Anna, but she was too concentrated on her archery to notice Marco's presence. I hurried out of the training room and joined alongside him.

"What news do you have?" I asked.

"I'll say once we get to a more private area. It's not safe enough to discuss out in the open." He explained, looking at me from his peripheral vision. I nodded and followed him into another room. As I stepped in, the pleasant smell of fresh linen and lavender greeted me. This was Marco's personal quarters. It's where he sleeps, completes paperwork, and anything else that you could imagine for a Mentor and one of the master Assassins in the bureau. He locks the door behind us and moves around his desk, sorting through stacks of papers and feathered quills.

"Let me guess," I said, and couldn't help but grin. "Are you assigning me another assassination contract?"

"Not exactly," he said. "It's more of a rescue mission. Tell me, Elsa, have you ever heard of the sage?"

I shake my head. "No, sir."

"Sages are profoundly wise people who have the ability to lead others to power and fame. With that much power that the sage can grant, almost anyone can gain complete dominance over their surroundings, including the Templars. Not that the Assassins lust for this competence, but rather they need to prevent the Templars from obtaining it. I have been informed that there is a sage being escorted by a slave driver near the vicinity. She's a seventeen-year old girl named Tris."

I nodded along with everything he was saying. "So, is she some mythical sorceress who can wield magic with her wand?"

Marco glared at me and I immediately regretted my words. "That's not how it works. There have been rumors about a legendary armory around this area. It supposedly holds a large quantity of impressive weapons and overall unlimited power. It only takes a drop of a sage's blood to allow entrance within the armory. Who knows what the world will be in the end if the Templars get to it first. It's your job to retrieve Tris and bring her back safely to the bureau. That should keep the Templars at bay for the time being."

"Okay, got it," I said with a firm nod. "Anything else that I should know about?"

"Wear your uniform and bring weapons, of course. It won't be easy getting to Tris. Expect resistance among the caravan. Also, they were last seen around the province of Urteil, which is not too far from here." Marco said as he walked around his study, hands clasped behind his back.

"Okay, but I have a question: Why did you pick me to carry out this?" I asked.

"You're one of the best Assassins in the bureau. Not to put shame to either Anna or Mia because they're both exceptionally superior, but you're different. I have a feeling that you won't disappoint me."

"I promise I won't fail you." I took a small bow with one arm fastened behind me and the other crossed over my chest, a respectful gesture.

"Good," Marco smiled warmly and clapped my shoulder. "Now, go, prepare yourself. Make sure to leave by tomorrow morning."

I nodded and took my leave. Once out of his room, I felt slightly queasy, and my legs were wobbly. I usually wasn't too anxious about contracts, but this one was particularly racking my nerves. I knew absolutely nothing about this Tris girl, and I was expected to rescue her? I sighed and directed my steps toward my own chambers. I guess I'll go through with it anyways.


	3. Chapter 2

**Special thanks to Dr. Archangel for coming up with the fight that you will read momentarily. Don't forget to check out his side of the story!**

* * *

As dawn broke the next morning, when the bleeding sun came to life, I was already awake and prepping myself for the day ahead of me. I quickly bathed in the washroom, making sure that all of the grime and sweat buildup on my skin was cleansed of, and donned my Assassin robes. The armored pieces on the uniform were heavy at first, pressing down on my muscles that eventually loosened to the weight. My Tang swords were slid into place on both sheaths strapped to my belted waist, as well as the two pistols that were fitted within holsters.

Rope darts, smoke bombs, and tranquilizers were neatly piled into the small pouch on my belt. I popped in a couple poison darts for fun just in case I landed into a sticky situation. Though I rarely used the sleep or poison darts, they still proved to be reliable when all else fails. The last to be equipped were my trusty hidden blades. They were disguised in the form of leather braces that went on my forearms, and fingerless gloves accompanied them to make stress on my hands less frequent.

I weaved my hair into a braid and left it draping over one shoulder. I wasn't going to put my hood up, at least not yet. Besides, it was considered disrespectful to wear your hood up while inside the perimeter of the bureau, even if it was Assassin territory. I withdrew from my room, but only to run into Anna.

"Oh hi, Elsa!" she exclaimed with a smile. Mia was at her side, munching on a red apple. They were both dressed casually and looked nothing like they were marching into a potentially dangerous mission, very much like I was. I shouldn't feel like this, nor should I be so negative about it either. I was never this afraid for a contract. Wait, afraid? No, I couldn't be scared. It had to be something else. I looked at the two girls before me, at their innocent faces, bright eyes, and even the dusting of freckles across Anna's cheeks. I shared this trait with her too, but mine were lighter.

"Hey guys," I said, trying my best not to sound nervous or scared. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, and I could feel the sweat on my palms soaking through the rough fabric of my gloves.

"I heard you were heading off for a contract," Anna said. "I just wanted to wish you the best of luck! I know you'll do great." I faked a smile. Marco must have lied to everyone else in the bureau and said that I was going on a mere assassination mission, nothing huge. All this talk about Tris and her sage abilities must be top secret. I knew I had to be special if I was the only one who was allowed to learn about it. "Here, I brought you a croissant if you're hungry." Anna handed me a lump of freshly baked pastry, and I took it with much gratitude.

"Oh, thank you." I took a bite out of the croissant. It was a little dry, but I suppose it was better than anything served on the streets. "Well, I best get going now. I don't want my target escaping so easily."

Anna nodded. "Of course. In the case, I'll be seeing you around," She leaned forward and gave me a hug. "hopefully," she added, but only in a playful way. I forced a short giggle, but the unlikely truth laced in her words pierced me.

Mia joined in the conversation, and said, "Good luck! I have one piece of advice though: Don't die." She laughed, and I did too.

"I'll try not to." I watched the two of them walk away, giving me small waves, before disappearing around the corner of the corridor. I sighed and made my way towards the exit of the bureau, all while eating the last remains of my crumbly pastry. After freeing the door from the heavy locks and restraints, I pushed the broad wooden structure open. The outside air swirled with bitter coldness and pale daylight. The snowfall had subsided down to nothing but an invisible, chilling breeze that passed through your body like it wasn't even there.

It was a good thing for me that my body was practically resistant to the cold and its harsh elements. I don't remember how I became so acquainted with the cold, but it just never seemed to bother me all that much. Aside from the thick blanket of snow that covered every square inch of the barren land, I felt no hate for the frozen season of winter, especially since it made itself so notorious in these parts of the region.

My feet crunched on the thinning layer of snow as I walked over to the stables where the horses were kept. Anyone who yearned to travel to distant places would just take any horse at random, but not me. I always chose the chestnut stallion with a white blaze upon his face. His name was Thor, or that's what I called him, mainly due to his strength and prowess to keep on moving even when situations became difficult.

I went to Thor's stall and at the sight of me, he neighed merrily.

"Hey buddy," I murmured to him and stroked his face. His tack hung on the wooden post next to the stall, so I went over to retrieve them. I placed padding on his back along with the saddle, tightening the strap over his underbelly so that it was secure. The last thing to put on him was the bridle, which I had some trouble getting the metal bit into his mouth. I finally forced it on, scolding him teasingly under my breath as I did. When all of the equipment was fastened on Thor, I mounted him and guided him out of the stables. Before urging him to move faster, I pulled my hood on, stuffing my braid away, and made sure the beak hid away most of my face.

Once at a steady pace through the forest, I took the time to glance around. The towering coniferous trees were a shade of dark green with a sprinkle of snow on the needles. Streaks of pink and orange scored across the sky as the sun poked above the horizon. It was truly a beautiful sight, and as much as I wanted to gaze at it for so long, I had to focus on the pathway ahead. From what Marco told me, the slaver driver who had Tris was last seen around Urteil. I wasn't very familiar with the routes within the region, and it was bound to take some time getting to the destination of the slave caravan.

I spurred Thor, also while clicking my tongue, and leaned forward in the saddle as his pace quickened. I barreled down dirt paths covered in icy snow, around the nooks and crannies of the unpredictable road, and occasionally passed by a trading wagon or another traveler on horseback. Night was falling as I reached the more remote section of the vast forest. The full moon was floating in the dark sky along with thousands of tiny, glittering stars. Silvery radiance poured down on the pathway ahead, making my investigation a bit easier.

The sound of rickety wheels rolling on the rocky ground drifted to my ears. I peered over and through the thicket off the side of the road, tensing slightly as I spotted movement in the distance. It was a wagon with four horsemen flanking it on both sides. My eyes strained on the opening at the back of the wagon with metal bars interlocking. I saw figures inside, of children, I believe. They were meshed together in the barred carriage, looking as miserable as ever. I caught the glimpse of red hair among the swarm of imprisoned children, and I could swore that was Tris. Though I couldn't see her clearly, I had the feeling that was her, and I grinned wryly.

The guards accompanying the wagon didn't look the least threatening, nor did the slave driver who was just a heavy, beaten man with a ragged appearance. I dismounted Thor, whispering for him to stay put, and scurried up to higher elevation get advantage over them. They were moving at a slow pace, and it was easy for me to hop from tree to tree until I was right above them. My eyes flicked over the four guards and I targeted the one lagging behind, a sitting duck for sure.

My fingers fumbled inside the pouch on my belt and I pulled out a rope dart. I wiped a thumb over the smooth metal of the pointed arrow at the end of the sturdy rope. Unleashing the dart with one hand, the spear pierced the horseman in the back of the neck and remained latched. He screamed, alerting the others in process, but I was already dropping down to the ground. I had both hands gripped on the rope as I descended, pulling the guard up to the tree limb where I last perched. He hung there merely by the rope, writhing and clawing at the spike embedded in his flesh. After a moment, his body went still and he was forever silent.

The other three guards tugged their horses to a halt, their frightened gazes directed at me. The fear faded away like powder dissolving in water and they snapped the reins, guiding their horses at full speed toward me. I ripped my flintlock pistol from the holster and aimed a shaky, yet precise, shot at one of the horseman. The bang of the discharged bullet startled me at first, but it landed a deadly blow into the guard's skull. He fell to the ground, lifeless, as his horse cantered away. The remaining two have now forsaken their mounts and were now charging at me with their blades drawn. They ran at me clumsily, one of them almost falling in his erratic footsteps, with menacing glares contorted on their pale faces.

I slid my swords out from their sheaths, raising them protectively in front of me. One man lunged at me with his sword pointed at my chest, but I twisted out of the way and slashed out his neck. Blood sprayed out, splattering over my face, and caused me to wince with gritted teeth. The other man was nowhere to be seen, especially since the blood blocked my vision. I wiped the sticky substance from my eyes just in time to see not the other guard, but the heavy driver. He was running at me with a knife held in the air rather awkwardly – and incorrectly too – but I don't think about that. I have no time to pull out of swords or even my hidden blades, so as he collides with me, I knock the dagger out of his grubby grip and land a hard punch right in his face.

I hear the satisfying crunch of cartilage under my knuckles, but pain surges up my hand and arm. The driver falls to the ground, currently unconscious, and I shake the ache out of my hand. My impulse kicks in as I hear the last escort's hulking footsteps behind me. I dodge at the right second as he stumbles to his knees. I almost laugh at his uncoordinated attack, but instead I finish him off with one of my hidden blades piercing into his chest. At last I think I'm alone, so I take my hood off and walk up to the desolated wagon. The children inside are whimpering, but some sit in silence. They stare at me with wide eyes as I fiddle with the lock. It's quite a complicated piece of craftsmanship, and the only way of getting it off is to break it.

Before I could proceed, there was rustling to my side and I turn to see the driver twitching back to life, his hand clutching a pistol. I'm off guard, and all I could do was watch helplessly. Suddenly, as if a miracle had just happened, his hand explodes into a gush of blood, and finger bones. My eyes widened as he screams through gritted teeth, his blood staining the snow dark. What could have possibly shot his hand? I first think of a rifle from afar, but that would result in a loud bang from the gunshot. I didn't hear anything, though. Another bullet shoots out and embeds itself into the man's head, immediately ending his life.

This alerts me, and I yank my hood back onto my head as if on instinct. I run to the wagon and break the lock apart with one swipe of my arm. My hands pried the door open and the slaves flowed out, fleeing into the darkness of the forest. I completely forgot about Tris. I can't tell if she ran off or was still inside the wagon, but there are much more urgent matters to attend to.

Something is whizzing through the air and I look up to see the outline of a figure zip lining downwards. They drop to the ground, rolling to a stop a few feet away from me. I have a better view on the person, and I realize that he is a man. He's rather young, maybe around my age or a bit older, and wears a blue jacket with the hood extended over his head, shadowing any facial features. He has the image of a mercenary: tough, with weapons strewn all over his body, including an exquisite scoped rifle slung on a shoulder.

"Back away, miss, these slaves are mine." He growled darkly. Seemingly, he was against me, and the hostility radiated off of him like the sun's rays. I had the feeling that he was the kind of guy who didn't take shit from anyone, which was coincidental because it went the same way for me.

"Over my dead body, merc." I responded, staring him down with a glare.

"Well that won't be hard." He said while unsheathing his Katana sword. The polished blade gleams with perfection, like jeweled stones. It nearly puts shame to my Tang swords, but I know that I could take him on. The confidence that laced his words made my stomach churn with boiling anger. He points the sword at me and I tense, my hands quickly finding my own swords hilts.

"Are you sure?" I play along, and pull out my weapons, a smile tugging my lips.

I can see the man smile under his hood. "This'll be fun." He said, and charges at me with his sword ready to strike. I remain in my stance as he slams into me, his sword sliding along my swords that were held up defensively. The force of his impact almost brings me down, but I push back at equivalent strength. This is actually fun, and I smile teasingly in his face. My knees bend and I throw him away, watching as he rolls sloppily along the ground. Now with him caught off guard, I run at him with both swords crossed before me. I aim a swipe at his neck, but he deflects it with his sword, yet the other blade nearly nicks him.

I come at him again with a spin, both blades outstretched, and he sweeps his stance back an inch to avoid my attack. He starts to twirl around with his sword, ultimately confusing me. I realize that this was merely a distraction and before I could react, he swings a sword out and knocks my tang swords right from my grasp. His fist flies out, smashing into my face and leaving me flat on my back. I quickly jump back onto my feet, and stagger back, holding a hand up to my face. Warm blood dribbles down my nose and I smear it away.

The man has his sword in front of his face for protection, and he stared at me closely as I bend down to retrieve my swords. This time I snap the hilts together, combining it into one long, double bladed staff. He rushes at me for another clash, but I block it and use the other side to slice into his shoulder. I grin, content that I had finally landed a hit on him. Even with the cut and the fresh blood trickling down, the man appeared unstoppable, and determined to finish this fight with his own victory. I spin my blade around as I come charging at him, but he blocks both sides of the staff. I twist body around to regain momentum and land a strike at his sword. My back was facing him, but I still aim a few swipes at him, all which are unluckily blocked.

One particular clang of his sword on mine forces me around to face him properly, much to my disappointment. A flurry of strikes and blocks passes, and a thought leaks into my mind. I strike at him from behind. He blocks that surprisingly, and I curse under my breath. His hoisted sword took the advantage and broke my staff back into two swords, as well as kicking me square in the throat. Pain floods in the bone and cartilage of my wind pipe. I press shaky fingers to it until the feeling subsides down to nothing but numbness.

My brow creases into a venomous scowl as I look back to the man. The fun and games have faded away, and now I'm really pissed at him. I grip the handles of my swords so hard that my knuckles hurt and run at him. He calmly strikes at me, but I riposte every swing of his blade. I bring my knee up into his stomach and tackle him to the nearest tree. As I slam him hard into the trunk, the muscles in my arms throb, and I can't imagine how badly he got it on his end. He brushes away from my hands on his neck and returns with his own on my head. It happened so fast, but he head-butted me, immediately stunning me.

There's a patch of pain in my skull and my vision was swimming in black stars. He smacks my thigh with his knee, and I drop my weapons. I grit my teeth as he grabs my hood, holding his blade up to my exposed neck. My hood comes undone and my heart races in fear as he stares at my unveiled face. But he freezes, his eyes widening at the sight of me. I arch an eyebrow, suspicious with the way he was acting. However, this is a benefit for me. I walk around the tree trunk and throw him across the snowy ground. I scoop up his scattered Katana and I tackle him, restraining him with my knees pinning his shoulders down. I ram the pointed tip of the sword upon him, but his hand comes up. Instead of catching the blade, it goes straight through his palm.

His hood falls off of his head, revealing his face. I feel my pulse quicken as I stare at him, mesmerized. Never have I ever seen such an attractive man. With his short brown hair and eyes of the same color, I couldn't help but admire his looks that matched the impressiveness of his skills. His face had barely any scars on it, unlike mine, and I wonder how that could be possible since he was a mercenary who was always fighting. As I was caught up in my goggling, he tucked his foot under to kick me in the face. I jump off of him and stumble back to fetch my Tang swords. I turn back to face him, watching as he removed the blade from his hand.

I glance at his face and shudder at not only the piercing glare he was giving me, but his handsome features. My eyes flicker from the ground, and back to him, but this time my face was firm, gaze hardened.

"You're strong. My respect." I complimented, spitting out some blood.

"Same to you." He said while shaking his hand, flinging droplets of crimson onto the ground. He slips off his blood-soaked glove and stuffs it into his pocket. Snowflakes begin to fall all around us, swirling in the wintry air, and the moon appeared huge, glowing brightly in the night sky.

"But I still won't let you have Tris, nor the others." I stated as my eyes wandered over the bloody swords in my hands.

"And I can't let you have them either." He said, twirling his Katana in a hand.

I run toward him, swaying slightly from the lingering dizziness in my head, and he's coming at me as well. The piercing clang of metal on metal erupts as our blades clash together. I aim a series of slashes at him, but all he does is dodge every single attack. I attempt a stab directly at his chest, but he catches my wrist in midair. Instead of smashing a fist or foot into my face, he wraps a strong arm around my waist and throws me away. I struggle to get back onto my feet, and when I finally do, my fingers feel around within my belted pouch. I grab a tangled rope dart and propel the weapon out at him.

The dart pierces him in the neck and I yank with all my might. He unwillingly is dragged towards me, and I punch him down as he got close enough. He pulls out a pistol that looks to be a Mauser – how fancy – and before he is even able to aim at me, I kick it away. I try another kick at him, but he grabs me by the knee. His elbow strikes my knee, and I grunt in pain. My fist shoots down to meet his face which loosens his grip on me. I'm not giving in to this guy so easily, so I target his head, chest, and any other part of his body with a swarm of punches. Every strike is successful, and I could see the color draining from his bloody face.

I prepare another punch, but he lands a foot on my chest, pushing me away. We stand there for what seemed to be an eternity, breathing heavily and staring each other down. I'm utterly exhausted; this guy proved to be a worthy opponent, but also a headstrong one too. I feel sore everywhere. My bloody nose and pained head didn't help at all with my overall condition.

The worst part was when I suddenly felt a prick in my neck, and fatigue washed over me. My knees gave out and I collapsed to the ground as sleep overcame my mind. The last thing I saw was the man standing there, staring down at me as if he won this fight.


	4. Chapter 3

My eyes fluttered open to dim lighting and a sourly stench that wrinkled my nose. From that moment on, I knew I landed in dire trouble, and I needed to escape from the malicious claws of possible death. I tried to use my hands to rub the ache from my head, but I noticed that I could not. My wrists were bonded together by metal restraints, preventing me from moving them at all. Once my vision cleared, I looked around, realizing just how badly my current situation was. I dangled in midair by only chains that were connected all the way up to the ceiling.

The cuffs dug into my wrists and with each attempt I made to get out, but it only worsened the blisters that were forming. I groaned softly and dropped my head. All of my weapons and even my Assassin robes were gone. The only outfit I wore was my old, dark trousers, boots, and a pastel short-sleeved shirt. I suppose that was better than missing a shirt, or pants, or maybe worse than that. I twirled my body around, trying to spot anything particular or useful in this dank chamber, but then I saw the dark outline of another prisoner a few feet to my side. They stirred slightly and lifted their head to look at me. A glint of light passed on their face, and they managed a weak smile.

"Ah, you're awake," they said, but it was more of a pained murmur. The voice was masculine, deep and throaty. My eyes widened in their sockets as I recognized him as the man that I waged a prolonged, violent fight with. I couldn't tell if that was an hour or even days ago. Our duel was interrupted as I was most likely shot by a sleep dart, and I think it went the same for him. But the real question is who exactly did this to us?

"Where am I?" I blurted out, frantically looking all over the place. The man and I were the only ones in this cramped room, along with empty shackles and scattered filth across the stony floor. There was a barred opening on the wall that let in little to no light, and I could barely see anything out of it from where I hung.

"Beats me," he said. The clarity of him became visible, and warmth seeped into my cheeks as I gazed upon his appearance. He was practically naked, except for the pants and boots that he wore previously during the fight. His bare torso consisted of sculpted muscle and many wicked scars that scored down from his chest to abdomen, and even on his arms. There were a few dark-inked tattoos that laced over his pale skin, but I wasn't able to make out what they were. I was shocked at how untamed he actually looked under his clothing.

I noticed the bloody gash on his shoulder that I afflicted. The bleeding has stopped, but it was in danger of getting infected. Just like his face, most of my own face was covered in dried blood. Though it itched like crazy, I had to ignore it for now.

"I have to get out of here…" I said under my breath. I looked up at my shackled wrists and shook them around, trying to somehow slip out of the binds. But it was a hopeless – and foolish – attempt. I was going nowhere with just that move. Those restraints were locked tightly on me, and it was going to take more than miraculously breaking them to escape.

"You know, that's not going to work," The man spoke up with a tinge of humor coating his voice.

I sigh. "I noticed. Thank you, captain obvious."

He chuckled. "You're quite witty, I like that. I've been wondering for a while now, but what's your name?"

I stare at him, slightly glaring. I'm hesitant at first, so instead I say, "What's yours?"

"Jack Frost," he said with a smirk. "But you can just call me Jack. I also go by Coldshot, maybe you've heard of me?"

I shake my head. I honestly have never heard of 'Coldshot' or anything like that. I was convinced that he was probably bluffing, or by some means very drunk.

"Oh, really? I'm a notorious mercenary – eh, whatever. Now, tell me your name. Or should I just keep on dubbing you as 'the killer woman'?"

"Elsa," I said, softly, and look to him from under my eyelashes.

"I like that name," he compliments. "I've actually never met an Elsa before."

"Why are you acting like this?" I interrupt him. "We were literally just in a serious fight some time ago, and now you want to be my friend?"

"Look, I was just trying to be nice," he muttered, this time a little more gruffly. "We're in this together, whether you like it or not. We were captured by an unknown enemy, and now we have to work as a team in order to get out. I'm calling it a truce. So, what do you say?"

I stare at him skeptically. But after a moment of passing decisions through my head, I exhale a long breath. "Fine."

His lips twitch into a smile. "Promise not to slit my throat as soon as we get out of here?"

I roll my eyes in exasperation. "Yeah, yeah."

"Good, because I don't think you'd be able to do that anyways." Jack grinned smugly.

"So do you have any ideas on how to escape or not?" I push his last comment out of my mind and scowl at him.

"Oh yeah, of course I do. Are you telling me that you haven't had a clue? Come on, Elsa. It's not that difficult." He said, and I'm finally fed up with his cocky attitude. I start to move my body, back and forth, until I was at a constant sway. Jack wasn't too far from where I dangled, and I kept on swinging just before I could touch him with a foot. He arched an eyebrow confusingly at my activity. Right when he was about to open his mouth to say something, I wrapped my legs around his neck.

I didn't use this technique too often, but it proved to be helpful in situations where your arms weren't beneficial. Jack tensed and struggled to break away from my lock. His protests were either cut off from his own end or muffled. I tightened my legs until I felt the need to give him some space.

"Get off!" He cried, and I unfolded my grip on him, smiling. As I swung back into place, looking amusingly at him, he was the complete opposite. "What was that for?" He asked, glaring at me with his brown hair ruffled and face paled sheepishly.

"You better break me out of here or I swear I will unman you!" I threatened with a raised voice.

Jack's face fell into fear, eyes widened, but it all faded away to a devious smirk. "Okay, I'll show you! Just… don't do that. I would very much like to keep my manhood." He looked up and swiveled his body around, metal chains jangling as his wrists shifted within the restraints. I saw the muscles in his arms bulge and strain as he lifted himself in the air to the point where he was upside down. His hands grappled at the chains, and he proceeded to climb up, one hand at a time.

My eyes followed him in silence as he made his way to the ceiling. And then, just like that, he let go. The gravity of his fall broke the pipes in which the chains were tied to, and he came crashing down. He groaned and hissed in pain as he gathered himself from the pile of broken metal and debris. The impact was rather loud, and there was no doubt about it that nearby guards were alarmed. My mind replayed every little move that he carried out. I slowly but surely copied what he did.

When I flipped myself right side up, I could feel the blood drain to my head and the sweat trickle down my face, splashing to the dirty floor in small droplets. My stinging, chapped hands tugged at the chains, forcing my own body weight higher and higher. I could hear Jack situating himself, mumbling curses for what might be a self-induced injury. I reached the very top and allowed my grip to simply release. Time froze, and all noises were hushed, as I fell. Then as if reality came smashing through like a freight train, pain erupted on my left shoulder as I put all the force there. I gritted my teeth, groaning softly. The chains pooled around me, as well as stony wreckage from above.

I snapped my gaze up as the sound of heavy footsteps and yelling appeared at the entrance of the chamber. Jack was already on his feet as one guard lunged at him, sword in hand. He dodged the slash and wrapped his still-cuffed wrists around the guard's neck, jerking it to the side until he slumped to the ground. I watched the guard's body collapse, and my eyes glimpsed at the Red Cross symbol stitched onto his uniform. I stood on my feet and stared at the image, flabbergasted. Templars. They were the ones who were holding us captive.

"Go, Elsa!" Jack called to me, pulling me back to the realization that we were being attacked. "Find our weapons and gear!"

I stumbled towards the opened door, but paused just as I stepped out, looking to Jack worriedly. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine!" He said as he kneed a guard in the stomach, and brought his hands down on the back of his neck. I nodded and quickly scurried out before the remaining guards could spot me. My shoulder still throbbed painfully and I rubbed at it as I carefully maneuvered down the dark hallway. This place seemed small and not at all like the labyrinthine corridors of the bureau. I turned the next corner and was immediately faced with a pair of armed guards.

"Hey!" One of them shouted, and they both ran at me. I was quicker though. I avoided the near impalement from a sword and slammed the metal restraints against one guard's head, knocking him out. I kicked the other in the gut and he doubled over in pain. I snapped his neck with one fluid movement of my cuffed wrists before he could even react. I leapt over the bodies and moved into another room. It was lighted by only a few torches aligned on the walls, and there, sitting in the very center, was a large chest.

I was about to walk further within, but rustling behind one of the bookshelves stopped me in my tracks. Something whizzed by me, barely nicking my head, and sunk into the wooden frame of the door. I whirled around to see the feathered end of an arrow that could have took my life just a moment ago. A Templar guard breached from within the shadows, aiming a crossbow at me. Before he could shoot another arrow at me, a figure flashed by, as fast as light, and slammed into him. I realized it was Jack, and he swung out a firm kick right into the guard's face, immediately knocking him out.

"Thanks," I said to Jack as I walked closer to him, and he shot me a crooked grin over his shoulder.

He glanced down at his bonded wrists, sighing frustratingly. "Hmm, now how are we going to get these off?"

"I've got an idea." I went over to a wooden table on the other side of room. With one quick move, I brought my hands up and down on the hard edge, and the cuffs split apart. "Your turn." I smiled at Jack's dumbfounded face. He grumbled, and as he went to break away from his own restraints, I stepped up to the chest. I crouched and pried the lid open, revealing an array of clothing and weapons. Jack shuffled over and scooped out his own gear, while I grabbed my Assassin robes.

"We need to hurry," he said as he slipped into his blue jacket. "I think I hear more guards coming."

I nodded while quickly slipping my uniform on, tightening straps and smoothing down creases. The next to come on were my sheathed Tang swords – which were thankfully untouched – and my pistols into their holsters. As I was adjusting the hidden blades on my forearms, Jack picked up his rifle, fondling it carefully. It looked like a Springfield bolt action, but there was what seemed to be a scope and another device attached on the firearm.

"That's better." Jack smiled as he checked the cartridges within the rifle. I pulled on my hood, brushing my blonde hair from my face, and Jack did the same. We continued out of the room, moving cautiously and as quiet as we could possibly muster. But even our stealth was not good enough, for a few more guards caught us as we crawled into the hallway. Jack took the Katana sword from across his back and rapidly slashed out a Templar's throat. His slices flowed like water, gashing out a chest here and a thrusting a stab to the heart there. The last guard was clearly fearful for his life and, seeing that his fellow comrades were slain in a matter of seconds, dropped to his knees, begging for mercy.

Jack took this opportunity with ease. He grabbed a handful of the Templar's shirt and pulled him to his feet, but only to slam him against the wall. The man was dark-haired and skinny, with scattered blackheads covering his fat nose. His eyes bulged out of his head as he looked at Jack. I could tell from the slight smirk that Jack was having fun.

"Who the hell did this to us?" Jack demanded from the frightened man.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered, but there was a glint of determination in his beady eyes. Jack titled his head and pulled out a Mauser pistol from under his jacket, pressing it roughly into the man's stomach.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Ah! Please, don't kill me! I have a wife and children!" The man was sweating, and I have never seen such fear in someone's face before.

"Then I'm gonna ask again, who was the one in charge with imprisoning us?" Jack was getting impatient. His lips were pursed, while his eyes looked unusually dark under the dim lighting.

"Hans! He's a Templar… he was the one who did this, not me! I have nothing to do with it, please don't hurt me!"

Jack suddenly went pale, as if he was going to be sick any moment. I've never heard of Hans before, but since he's a Templar, I knew I was tasked in eliminating him. What if he's after Tris as well? That means he wants to gain entry to the armory, and with that much power, a simple Templar could cause major death and destruction. I must get to Tris before he does, but I can't do it alone. Jack was speechless and stared at the ground blankly. Then he slammed a fist into the man's temple, sparing him from death.

"That backstabbing son of a bitch…" Jack muttered, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked.

He turned to face me reluctantly, and sighed. "Hans was the man who assigned me in retrieving Tris. I knew I had an odd feeling about him, and yet I let my greed speak for myself! I was such a fool."

"Wait, are you saying that you worked for a Templar?" I spoke bitterly, my temper slightly rising.

"I had no idea!" Jack exclaimed. "I don't even know what a Templar is, honestly."

"The Templars are my enemy. I'm an Assassin, if you haven't already guessed. I know you probably want revenge for this deceiving bastard, but that'll happen eventually. For now we have to focus on getting out of here, and then I'll explain any further details."

Jack stared at me with an incredulous gleam in his brown eyes. He glanced away briefly before nodding his head slowly. "Okay, come on, let's go."

We resumed our escape, but since most of the guards were taken care of, our footsteps quickened to a nosy run. The next hallway that we turned into had a light at the end. My heart raced with joy as I realized it was an exit. Jack was ahead of me and rammed into the metal with his shoulder, forcefully pushing it open.

Sharp daylight glared at me, stinging my eyes, and the fresh air delighted my lungs. I was happy that we were finally free, but I couldn't have luckily escaped without Jack's help.


	5. Chapter 4

After escaping the prison facility, Jack and I ran at full speed far away from that dreaded place. Despite our stiff muscles and wounds, we pushed ourselves to keep going until we were as far away as possible. I couldn't tell how long we were running for, and I was regretting the fact that we didn't look for a horse or something to ease the traveling. Jack glances back, as if to see if there were any pursuers on our tail. Thankfully there weren't, so he decides to stop for a quick breather.

The thin sheet of snow crunches under our slowing footsteps. A flurry of snowflakes sprinkle down from the overcast sky as we stop, but the sharp pain in my knee isn't helping much with my overall condition. I grit my teeth in pain as I fall to my ground. I was so caught up in fighting and the very idea of escape that I completely ignored any self-injuries, such as my sore knee. My mind wraps around the realization that it was Jack that afflicted this to me, and I find it ironic that we were now suddenly allies. But something tells me otherwise.

Jack rushes over to my side. He gets on his knees, quick to help, but I wave him away. "Don't worry, I can handle it from here on out." He looked confused at my words, but his face slowly begins to drain of color as he understood what I'm getting at.

"Our truce is done?" He asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah." I slightly stammered as I try to stand back up, but the pain is unbearable. I fall back down with a soft grunt.

"Elsa, I hate to break it to you, but with a knee like that, I don't think you can go anywhere." Jack said, and he has a point. I suddenly feel heated anger course through me, remembering what happened between us merely days ago.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," I spat, glaring at him. "Need I remind you?"

Jack's face tightened with anger, as if what I said truly make him upset. "You know what, yeah! Why don't I remind you how I almost kicked you ass that night?" He appears serious, but his voice has a hint of sarcasm, and a little humor. I huff out a breath and roll my eyes at him. My eyes avert from his, and instead burn into the snowy ground. I don't want to look at him anymore.

"Alright, listen. I'll admit, I find it impressive that you were able to hold in your pain from your knee this whole time, but you and I are not out of the woods yet. Look around, do you know where we are?" I look around just as he does the same. The flurry of snow has faded to just a gentle but cold breeze. Sunlight slices through the thick treetops; I realize that the giant blazing sun is perched high in the sky, but barely shows. Gloomy grey clouds were rolling in, blocking out most of the light. Jack is right. Our journey has only begun, and it will be one hell of a ride to get out. This forest was the biggest in the region. It could take an eternity to maneuver throughout the vast area.

He turns his attention back on me. "I'm sure you have your doubts, but I need you as much as you need me. Alright?"

I say nothing in response. My eyes search his thoroughly, and I notice how charming the shade of brown reflects from the sunlight. I don't necessarily trust him. He did try to kill me after all.

He sighs and strikes up an offer instead, "That and I have something that can treat you wounds."

"What would that be?" I perk up, intrigued at his proposal. He digs through his pockets, at first having a struggle to find something, and then finally brings out a pouch of crushed green – herbs? I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but vegetation immediately came to mind from the dark green coloring of the flakes.

"Here," he shows me the herbs. "I call it Mirakuru. It can cure any wound."

"Are you serious?" I said curtly, incredulous. I have never heard of simple herbs that could cure anything. He must be exaggerating. "Do you really think that I'd believe that you have some sort of 'miracle medicine'?" I spit at him with a disgusted face.

"Just of the record, I spend two years in Heiwa. Trust me! I know how herbalism works." He raises his voice a little as he rolls back on the balls of his feet from the kneeling position. His fingers pry the pouch open and take a pinch of the herbs, handing it to me. I go over to grab the offering, but he pulls his hand away.

"I'll give it to you, as long as you promise me we get out of this, together." He said with a solid expression.

I become annoyed with his suggestion and maybe a bit intimidated too. Jack seemed like an aggressive person, especially with the fighting style that I have witnessed right from him. He is probably even more deadly than me, and that's coming from an experienced Assassin who has been training since childhood. The idea of working together with him slightly scares me, but I eventually agree with a nod of my head, and say, "Fine."

"Good." Jack manages a smile, and hands me the pinch of herbs.

At first I'm hesitant to eat the strange substance. For all I know he could be poisoning me. But after all that we've gone through, I highly doubt that. I place the herbs in my mouth and quickly swallow. The crushed leaves prove to be bitter to the taste buds, but the pain of my wounds uplift like magic. Even my sore muscles die away like it wasn't even there.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, suddenly shocked at how my body ridded the pain, everywhere, even for my bothersome knee. "Thanks for that."

"Don't mention it." Jack shrugged his shoulders, causing the gear on his back to shift. He helps me up with no problem at all. Once on my feet again, I realize how much taller he is than me. I was so used to being around people my height or shorter, but he makes me feel midget.

I shake off the thought and say, "Okay, if we're going to be working together, I suggest we get off the roads and work our way to my bureau."

He nodded. "I agree, let's go."

We set off through the untamed brush of the forest. Hours pass by – or what is felt like – and after some more hiking, we find that the sun was laying low on the horizon, threatening to extinguish to darkness by the dying light. In our process of trekking down forested trails, avoiding roads, we come across a river to follow. It wasn't too wide, but not too narrow. The clear water bubbled smoothly over coarse sand and rounded stones, and the river appeared shallow enough to walk across without it reaching no further than your thighs.

"It's getting late; we should stop here and make camp." Jack suggested.

I turn towards his direction and give myself a moment to not only think, but just look at him. After that, I sweep my gaze over the surrounding area. "Okay." I responded, simple as that.

"Well…" He walks around me with barely any eye contact. "I'll be right back."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're not leaving my sight." I blurted out the order without rethinking my choice of words.

Jack turns back to me. I half expect him to bark out a sassy remark, but instead he grinned. "I just need to get myself cleaned." His grinning suddenly grows into a laugh. To prove a point that he was being honest with me, he dropped his rifle and Katana on the ground. "Watch those for me, and I'll be right back." He turned his back on me and walked away.

I have the urge to follow after him. It was only my curiosity getting the best of me. I knew spying was wrong, but my feet were already moving forward, forcing me to press onwards. Jack was a few yards away from where he last stood, sitting at the edge of the water behind the covering of some trees and underbrush. I peer through the bushes, but my eyes widened as I saw that he had taken off his jacket, exposing his undeniably irresistible toned torso. The scars on his back were even nastier than on the front. I wonder what terrible contraption, or person, could have been the burden of those permanent marks.

I noticed the dark ink lacing over his skin. His tattoos. Damn, I never thought a simple guy could wear them so attractively. The tattoo on his back looked to be a dragon – a dragon from Heiwa to be exact – and it probably started on his chest but was so long that it curled around and ended just below the middle of his spine. The scaly monster had the illusion of movement whenever a ripple passed through his broad shoulders. As his right arm lifts, I see another tattoo on his bicep; it's a wolf, at least I think so, and it's etched beautifully with dark outlines and shadings. The inking is fascinating, maybe even surpassing the greatness of his huge dragon tattoo.

Jack finished up cleaning the blood off from his blue jacket, leaving a murky scarlet cloud in the crystal river water. The next thing that he does is splash some water on his wounds. Sympathy hits me like a tidal wave. The very sight of the wound that I afflicted on his shoulder leaves me sunken in a deep pool of regret. But the past is in the past. He's fine now, and that's all I care about.

He stitches up the gash, hissing in a painful breath. I watch as he tends to his pierced palm. That was a smart move that he conjured. Though it resulted in a punctured hand, it still saved him from almost getting a sword in the neck. I think his mending is coming to a conclusion, but the loud rustling in the bushes to my right interrupts my staring. A wild boar crashed through the thicket, barreling towards Jack in a fury of pointed tusks. Jack was reaching for his own pistol, but I was quicker. I grabbed my flintlock pistol from the holster on my hip and quickly fired a shot at the beast.

The bullet dug into the boar's side, swiftly ending its life. Jack lowered his gun, casting a look at me. Surprise specked with relief flickers over his eyes.

"Thanks." He muttered as he stood up, glancing at the pig's body. "Hello dinner." He slid some rope out of his crossbow pistol and wrapped the pig's feet up to make carrying to back to camp much easier. As he does that, he looks at me with a curious question, "Why were you back there in the first place?"

I avoid looking at him, and say nothing in response. I don't want him to know that I was peeping, secretly admiring his tattoos and scarred torso. The blush creeps on my cheeks as I turn on my heels, walking back to the camp. I await Jack's return and occupy myself for the time being by kicking a small stone around. He eventually comes with the boar balanced on his shoulders, and slams it down on the ground.

"Don't suppose you have a knife on you?" he asked, rather rhetorically.

I smile and pop out both hidden blades on my wrists. Jack moves away to create a fire while I skin the pig. I usually don't prepare my own food since it's always made and ready to eat at the bureau's dining hall. Thankfully Marco taught me all the skills that you needed to know for surviving the great outdoors, one of them including skinning animals. I cut into the flesh, peeling away layers of fur, skin, and muscle. Blood spills out, covering my hands in the think, pungent substance, and I struggle not to vomit as I separate the chunks of raw meat from the rest of the body. I dispose of the remains and go over to the riverside to clean off my hands. I also take the opportunity to wash the dried blood from my face which I have forgotten about until now.

Jack has a fire running and we roast the skewered pieces of meat over the flames. We sit in silence as our food cooked, and I had to admit, it was relaxing. My eyes stared into the orange wisps of fire that licked up at my meat piece, staining it dark.

"Hey Elsa, listen," Jack breaks the silence.

"Hmm?" I hummed out and turn my head to look at him.

"I just want to say that I'm sorry for that fight we met with." He pauses to take a bite from his haunch of meat, and continues. "It was just my job."

I glance at him forgivingly before placing a mouthful of meat into my mouth, "It's okay, you're absolved."

"Good. So tell me, "Killer woman'," His mention of that absurd nickname causes me to turn my eyes to him. "Where did you learn to fight?"

"Well… 'Coldshot', you remember that I told I'm an Assassin, right?" I bite back at him with his alternate name, and he nodded, huffing out a laugh. "Me and my Creed follow one rule: "nothing is true, everything is permitted."

He smiles at me. "I like that. My rule in life is, "live to protect, or die alone." His gaze averts to the fire.

"Sounds sad." I said, sympathetically. "That's a rule I would've followed if I didn't turn to the Creed. In my life, the Creed saved my life, and my sister's, after my parents were killed by bandits, and after that, they… took us in."

"You still have family?"

I nodded, suddenly feeling crestfallen.

"You're blessed. I lost everyone. My parents were killed in by bandits too. I used to live on the farmlands of Arendelle, until they burned down the farm, and after that it was just me and my sister living on the streets."

My hearts twists as if a knife was burrowed into it; his past story was incredibly sorrowful, even as bad as mine. I was lucky to have at least Anna still with me, but he has nothing left. I decide to strike up a question, though my eyes trained on him were brimming with melancholy. "You have a sister?"

"I 'had' a sister. It's because of her is why I do what I do. To honor her memory, by protecting the innocent. In fact I lost her twice; the first time I lost her was before I set out for my journey around the world. About five years later I was held prisoner in Royaume for another year, and that's when I found her again. Then I officially lost her when the prison I was being held in was destroyed. After that I turned into the man you see now."

He was held prisoner? Maybe that's how he earned those scars, but it could also be the rough journey he endured. I look at him with a wide, compassionate gaze. "I'm sorry for what you've been through."

"It's okay." He responded, softly.

"What was your sister's name?" I asked out of pure curiosity.

"Her name was Mia," he said. "So what's your sister's name?"

"Oh what…" I jolt upright, my heart nearly skipping a beat. I must have misheard him or something. Could Mia, the girl whom I've known for all these years, actually be his sister? No, I don't believe that. It has to be another girl with the same name, but even if it was true, I decided to keep my mouth shut from telling him. It would only stir up a dramatic reaction.

"Your sister's name?" He repeated.

"Oh, it's Anna. She's a… she's a playful one. She's good with a bow and arrow." I manage to get the words out without looking too nervous.

"Cool."

For a moment we just sit in front of the fire in silence. I still feel racked with jitters at the revelation that Jack spoke of, but then again, I keep it a secret. I build up the nerve to speak. "Would you like to join my Creed?"

"What?" He raised his eyebrows.

"We could use a good rifleman in our rank. I could put in a good work for you." I said. "You say you want to protect the innocent? Join us, and I promise you, you will fight for the innocence, and we can help you get to what's coming to Hans."

Jack is silent for a second, pondering, and then says, "If your superiors are okay with it? My talents are yours."

"Good." I smiled at him, content that he made a wise decision, and also happy that he will be on my side for now on. He nodded in response.

I look up to the night sky. Twinkling stars were embedded in the dark blanket with the glowing big moon towering overhead. The only sound present was the crackling of the fire and the gentle rushing of river water. They were two opposites, and yet it soothed me to the point where I began to grow weary.

"It's getting late. I'm gonna turn in." Jack said as he stood up from his seat. I agreed and watched as he retired to a large, flat stone to rest upon. I glanced down and lied on the ground just below my feet, curling myself to conserve warmth. But even in the presence of the fire, the cold wind whipped right through me ruthlessly. I began shivering, and my teeth chattered.

"Would you like to sleep with me?" Jack's question spiked in the night's silence. I turned to look at him, more surprised than disgusted. I actually liked that idea, believe it or not.

"What?" I croaked out, staring at him.

"It's just an offer. We could use the body heat."

I'm reluctant at first. I have never slept so close with any man before. It made me embarrassed and rather anxious too. But I agreed, not wanting to turn down his nice offer, nor suffer the cold of tonight. "Yeah, alright."

I stand back up and shuffle towards him, lowering myself onto the uncomfortable stone, but I guess it was better than sleeping in the dirt. I rest my head next his shoulders and slightly press my body against his. The warmth floods in and I doze off to sleep, smiling.


	6. Chapter 5

I wake up feeling restoration within my body like never before. It's strange, really. Most of my nights consisted of restless sleep that were plagued my nightmares. If I was lucky enough, I sometimes had no dreams at all, like an empty aura that offered nothing but darkness and silence. The nightmares came and went like the light of day; they were horrifying, and I usually awoke in the dead of night screaming, covered in a cold sweat. They began when my parents died, and haven't stopped since then. I'm quite sure that they won't be going away anytime soon, no matter what happens.

But last night was unusually different. My sleep was peaceful and refreshing, and I think I even had a nice dream for once. Even if I did, I couldn't remember a thing. I felt a weight on my hip and I lifted my head slightly to look at whatever it was. Jack's arm was around, his hand dangling down and touching the stony bed beneath us. I gasped softly and squirmed away from under his arm, scooting onto the grassy ground. I couldn't blame him; he probably did that in his sleep unknowingly, but the embarrassment had me blushing madly. He stirred, cracking an eye open at me, and eventually sat up lazily, raking a hand through his tousled brown hair.

"What is it?" He asked, groggily. A yawn threatened to dawn on him, but he stifled it as he kept his eyes on me.

"Ah, nothing. I just… saw a spider." I lied while biting my lip.

"Didn't know you were afraid of spiders." Jack chuckled and stood up from the flat stone. He stretched his limbs, groaning as a string of cracks erupted from his back. I opened my mouth to actually tell him the truth, but closed it right away, deciding against it. I would imagine him being quite flustered if he found out what happened. We had a more important task ahead of us to focus on instead of worrying over petty things like that.

"Well… yeah, isn't everyone?" I said, faking a smile. Jack gave me a crooked grin before walking over to gather up his belongings. The fire was charred black and extinguished, except for a few steaming embers that still glowed with a dull, dying orange. I remained sitting on the ground just of a little longer, and turned my gaze up to the forest's treetops. Sunlight streamed down from the slits in between the trees bare branches, basking the frozen earth with golden rays.

The snow had ceased and in return the sky opened up to a soft cerulean with the speckles of white clouds. This was more like it. The pestering cold was starting to pluck at my nerves, even though I was known for tolerating winter with little to no complaints. This change of weather was not only relieving, but made the wild parts of this unpredictable region appear beautiful.

"You hungry?" Jack asked, snapping me out of my trance.

I looked at him, and right at that moment, my stomach grumbled as if it was responsive to his question. I nodded as I stood back on my feet, steadying myself from the wobbliness in my stiff legs. Jack came up to me with his hands cupping something. I realized that the scattered blue pellets were none other than blueberries.

"Blueberries?" I murmured, staring down at the fruit with widened eyes.

"Yeah," He popped one into his mouth. "Here, have some."

"Wait, are you sure it's not poisonous?" I asked, cautiously. I didn't want to be potentially killed by his misguided eye for berries that could actually be different than what he thought. But as he chewed slowly on the blueberry, his face drooping with disbelief, I was convinced to think otherwise.

"Oh sure, I'm totally scheming on killing you," he said with pure sarcasm lacing his words, but he smirked, giving me a wink at the same time. "But hey, why don't I kill myself in the process?" He popped another berry in his mouth and pretended to choke.

"Shut up," I muttered, but a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. "I was just making sure."

He heaved a short laugh. "I know, I was only teasing." I took a couple blueberries from his hand and placed one in my mouth. As my teeth clamped down, the sweet juices overflowed my taste buds, and the tangy flavor sharpened my senses. It was so damn good.

"Alright," Jack bent down to grab his rifle and Katana. He slung both over his back. "We should get going."

"Right." I quickly collected all of my gear, including my weapons which I strapped onto my body, and we resumed our travel. Taking to the trails within the forested undergrowth, we navigated in the direction of the bureau at a solid pace. Jack insisted hiking on these hidden routes since the main roads were most likely still unsafe. Who knows what dangers we could encounter as sitting ducks; bandits, wolves, Templars... anything in that category are treacherous whatsoever.

We pressed forward nonstop, but there were occasional breaks whenever our hurting feet really became bothersome. The journey proved to be challenging. I always thought that I was physically fit and could endure most laborious conditions, but this was more painful than expected. Even Jack – who had matching, if not superior, strength compared to me – was beginning to lag slightly and breathe heavily with each lumbering footstep. The sun was our compass, but when that was blocked, we consulted the flow of the river.

Hours passed by – at least that's what I think. We finally breached the forest and I recognized these familiar landmarks. It was like a crushing weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I lead the rest of the way towards our destination. The bureau came into view by early evening, judging by how the sun was slowly slinking to the horizon. I felt the urge to whoop at the success of our long trip, but my muscles were racked by aches and sweat dampened my robes; I didn't have much energy to even lift my arms.

"So...that's your hideout?" Jack asked between breaths. I looked up at the sturdy edifice that was merely the size of a normal house. To an outsider, they would be skeptical about the small structure that didn't even look like it could hold many people, but that was only deception. It was more than just that.

"Yeah. It's the bureau, where the Assassins from around this region reside." I responded. "Don't be fooled by the appearance though. The actual hideout is underground, and it's very much like a maze."

"Underground, huh?" Jack glanced at me. "Fancy."

"Well, it's the safest way to prevent attraction, especially for enemies like the Templars." I said as we approached the entrance. The broad wooden door was bolted with locks and chains. I slipped a golden key from my pouch and unlocked the door. Using both hands, I pushed it open, sighing as cool air collided with my face. Jack followed after me and once he was well inside, the door swung close with a slam.

"Hm, this place is pretty nice." Jack swept his gaze around at the glossy, wooden arches, sculpted stone with unique engravings, tarnished decorations, and the infrequent dappling of Assassin tapestries. He looked down, marveling at the marble tiled floor.

"Just wait till you see the rest." I said with a small smile. The combination of flickering candles and torches lightened the hallway as we walked down the velvet carpet. There was the flurry of footsteps just to my right at the next corridor. I turned my head to see Anna hurrying around the corner, and just as she spotted me, she froze. Her eyes widened and jaw slackened. I was about to greet her warmly, but she was already embracing me tightly.

"Oh my God, Elsa! I thought you were dead!" she sobbed into my shoulder and I patted her back gently. Remorse flooded my insides; I had forgotten that I was gone for days, maybe even more than that. They people of the bureau were bound to notice my unusual disappearance. I typically completed contracts victoriously and arrived back before nightfall. But this time it was different.

"Shh, Anna, shh," I hushed her quietly. "It's okay, I'm here, I'm alive, and there is no need for crying." She pulled away from me, sniffling and wiping a stray tear from her freckled cheek.

"Where were you?" she asked in a soft voice.

"It's… a long story. I'll explain everything later, I just… I just need some rest." I said, pushing a strand of hair from my sweaty forehead.

Anna nodded, but then her eyes moved behind me, presumably noticing Jack. "Uh, who's that?" she whispered to me.

"Oh, Anna, this is Jack. He's… a friend." I looked at him. He offered a grin and waved a little to Anna.

"Hmm, really?" Anna sounded suspicious, even doubtful too.

"Yes, really, trust me. But now I need – " I stopped in the middle of my sentence as I heard someone quickly moving around the corner. They came into view, appearing only as a small, dark figure in the absence of any light, and halted as they peered at us.

"Elsa?" they called out and I recognized the sweet voice as belonging to Mia. I stepped forward, keeping my lips sealed as she rushed up to me, clasping me in her slender arms. She said nothing more, but just held onto me. I felt like consoling and reminding her that I was still here, like what I did with Anna. But I couldn't, for I knew Jack was behind me. The memory of his chilling words, the fact that Mia might actually be his sister, haunted my thoughts. I guess we'll just have to find out.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Mia said while she retracted from our hug. I smiled and nodded, but I remained speechless. Suddenly there was a faint gasp to my side, and I glanced over at Jack's paled face and the slight trembles of his body. He looked as if he was going to breakdown any moment now.

"M-Mia?" His voice was barely audible, like a whisper. She looked to him; at first her face read nothing as she studied him, trying to contemplate over who exactly he was. But then, as if the wires fused together in her brain, her eyes widened with her mouth agape. Silence surrounded us as Jack and Mia just stared at one another. Time seemed to freeze, and the stillness that emitted was contradictorily deafening. All I could hear was the own beating of my heart within my ears. Suddenly, a play button was pressed, and Mia ran into Jack's arms, holding on as though her life depended on it.

This finally convinced me that she truly was his sister. I admit that I was very taken aback at this epiphany. It was like fate pulled Jack into my life purposely, just so that this could happen. It almost felt like… we were meant to be together. Not romantically, at least not yet. I couldn't deny these unnatural feelings for him, but it didn't make sense. I met him only days ago, plus he tried to kill me before that. But everything changed so quickly.

"You're alive… I can't believe it." Jack murmured, choking out a sound that was both a laugh and sob in one. Mia nodded against his chest, her face scrunched up as tears of joy stained her cheeks. It was a touching moment, and my heart fluttered at long lost siblings finally finding each other after all this time.

"Aww," Anna cooed, smiling at the two. Then she shook her head, and her expression became vaguely serious. "Well, I don't mean to interrupt family bonding, but I think Marco would like to see you guys," she glanced specifically at me. "He's been worried sick."

"I can only imagine." I said, following Anna down the hallway. I looked back at Jack and Mia who had pulled from their hug, and were now walking side by side, murmuring with their heads close. We traveled over to Marco's bedroom, which was a few doors down in the hallway at the next turn.

"Elsa!" My mentor gasped as he spotted me. He came up and embraced me briefly. When he let go, his hands gripped my shoulders rather tightly, and his eyes pierced into mine intensely. "Where in the heavens have you been, child?" I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Marco rarely called me 'child' and he only did so when urgent or severe issues came up. I hated that term when it was used as a nickname; I wasn't a child, for one thing. I left those years long ago.

"I got a bit caught up with my contract." I said.

"Oh, well, where's Tris? Did you get her?" he asked.

I huffed out shamefully. "You see, I was not able to get her."

"What?" He stared at me in a daze. I swore I saw a flicker of anger flash in his steely gaze.

"In the process, I – uh – " I paused, tossing over thoughts in my mind. I didn't want to reveal the fight that I encountered with Jack. It would only put a bad impression on him, and the others will end up not liking him, after all.

"You what?" Marco demanded.

"I was captured, by Templars," I stated, boldly. "I managed to escape, but I couldn't have done it without the help of Jack." I swept a hand at the brunet leaning against the doorframe. Mia was next to him, and it looked like they were talking quietly, that is until I mentioned him and they now had their eyes on me. I turned my attention back on Marco who arched an eyebrow at Jack, his face wrinkled cynically. It was like he just noticed that Jack was here.

"Hmm, okay." He bowed his head slightly and walked around me towards Jack. Stopping right in front of him, Marco inspected the man up and down with his hands formally clasped behind him. "Mia, do you mind stepping away?" He ordered the girl and she murmured her obligation, swiftly moving to the other side of the room. Jack straightened his posture, meeting the master Assassin's eyes with a slightly hostile gleam in his own.

"Tell me, son," he said. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to accompany Elsa." Jack responded.

"Really? Do you plan on staying? Because, I see you found your long lost sister." Marco glanced at Mia.

I decided to speak up. "I offered him to join the Order, and he agreed."

"Oh?" Marco, who had his eyes on me for a moment, directed them back on Jack. "Do you really think you have what it takes to be an Assassin?"

Jack shrugged, but there was the shadow of a grin on his lips. "I've had a lot of experience in my past."

"Very well," Marco rubbed his chin. "If that's so, then why don't you fight me?"

"Fight you?" Jack nearly stuttered out, his eyes widening. I felt my heart sink well in my stomach. I was just about to intervene, but Marco raced pass me and spoke first.

"Yes," His lips spread into a smile. "To prove that you're worthy enough to join the Assassins, me and you will fight. But it's not just your usual brawl with fists or swords; it's called Kali, or Escrima, and we will fight directly with wooden sticks. If you win, you can join among our ranks, but if I win – well – we'll see about that."

"Sir, do you think this is a good idea?" Mia asked, her voice trembling with worry.

"Of course," Marco said, grinning slightly. "I'm sure ole Jack here will be up to the challenge, am I right?"

Jack looked at him, silently thinking, and then he sighed, and nodded, "Yeah, I'll do it."

"Excellent. We will spar momentarily. Get ready, and meet me in the training room." Marco took his leave and slipped out of the door.

"Are you really going to do this?" I asked Jack as I stepped closer to him.

"I have to," he murmured. "I really need to join this Order." His gaze shot up, resting on Mia, before moving on me. The look in his brown orbs was warm, and it made my heart flutter even faster in my chest.

"Are you sure you're not too tired?" Mia asked.

He shook his head. "Not really, I've gone days before without sleep and was still capable of functioning properly. The way I feel right now is merely a scratch."

I moved up to him and touched his arm, "Just to forewarn you, but Marco is practically unbeatable in fights."

Jack smirked. "Don't worry, I got this." I nodded and walked with him, Mia, and Anna out of the bedroom. As we maneuvered to the training room, my head was spinning with concern. If Jack didn't win, he would surely be kicked out the bureau, and it would take a miracle to see him again if that happens. Even his own sister, whom he presumed dead until now, would be torn apart from him. I looked up at him as we walked; his expression was plain but stressed, like he was worrying about the possible outcome. I believed in him, though. He was going to win.

We entered the training room. A circle of metal rods and wires were being built in the clear space of the chamber by a couple of fellow Assassins. It served as a boxing ring where fights or competitive matches typically would take place. Marco stood tall and dignified, watching them with his arms crossed over his chest. His Assassin robe was gone, replaced with dark pants, boots, and a light gray shirt that was rolled up at his elbows. He noticed us come in and grinned, a rather cocky grin too.

Jack was looking back at him, but he scowled, his lips pursed in a slight frown. He dropped his gear, including his rifle and Katana, in a pile on the ground and muttered at us to keep it safe. Slowly walking over to the ring, he flexed his shoulders and cracked his knuckles.

The ring was finished being set up and the helpers scuttled away, but only to come back with a wooden stick in their hands that were at least an arm's length.

"Jack, wait!" I called out as I ran up to him. As he turned back, and without a second thought, I leaned up to place a quick kiss on his cheek. When I pulled away, he looked absolutely surprised, with the faint hue of crimson creeping onto his cheeks. "That's for good luck." I said, smiling, and shifted around to walk back into place, not giving him time to react in any way. Anna and Mia were giggling, as they had saw what happened, and I just grinned shyly down at the ground. But I couldn't help the blush that dawned upon me.

Marco grabbed his own stick and entered the ring, with Jack following right after.


	7. Chapter 6

**Credit to Dr. Archangel for writing up this chapter. For all of you wondering about Jack and Elsa's relationship, I assure you, it will happen eventually :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Jack steps inside of the ring, standing tall, but looking wobbly at his knees. I couldn't imagine how he must be feeling; he probably has fought many people in his life, emerging victorious from each battle, but I don't think he has ever faced a highly-trained mentor like Marco. I bite my lip and clench my clammy hands into fists. My eyes sweep over the two men, admiring the complexity of their tense, fighting stances. They looked like wolves preparing to fight over a piece of dead meat. I've seen Marco fight before, both in training and in real battle. He was as fierce as the spiteful words that sometimes blurt from his mouth. But Jack's cunning strength and abilities were just as superior. Though there was dread settling in the pit of my stomach, I had faith in Jack.

Marco swings his staff, clamping it in a hand and pointing it downwards. He looks up at Jack, his face grim. "Alright. If you can defeat me? You are welcome in our Order, but if you lose, and I thought of your punishment. You will be banished from the Creed, this land, and for interfering with our retrieval of Tris. If you lose, I take your rifle as a trophy."

The shadow of fear flickered over Jack's expression, his eyes wide and skin fading to a ghostly white. I winced at Marco's words; though I've only known Jack for so long, I could tell that his rifle was his prized possession. He treated it like it was his own child. Now if that was taken away, it was no doubt that he will be traumatized, and knowing him, furious too. He shuddered with anger, his deep brown eyes glaring at his opponent.

"That is not gonna happen!" He exclaimed in a curious growl.

Marco smiled, amused at his ferocity. "Well then you better win, for your sister's sake."

"Do not talk about my sister!" Jack growled again, this time with more disdain etching his voice. "Toss me that staff!" He yelled to the nearest person near him. Mia drifts from my side, walking up to the ring with the required staff. She throws it up to him and he catches it without any effort.

"KICK HIS ASS, BIG BROTHER!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. I laugh softly at her fierce outburst, and watch as Jack twirls his staff around his body with loose arms, a serious glare spread upon his face. He tucks it under his arm. Once Marco was done with his own spinning, they both clash with slaps and clacks from their sticks. Marco lunges his staff from the left side, blocking his blow with Jack's right side with a simple reflex. Unfortunately, he veers his stick downward with the other side of his weapon, aiming directly for Jack's knees. He flips him down on the ground with a sickly crunch. Marco circles around Jack, most likely focusing for a weak point, but he instead backs away.

I haven't realized until now that my fingernails were digging into the palms of my hands. It stung, but all I could think about was my hope in Jack to get up. My prayers are heard and he does, immediately breaking into a run. Marco is charging at him as well and plants a foot in his chest. The firm kick knocks Jack a good few feet back and he just rolls the rest of the way. Relentless, Jack jumps up and charges towards Marco. He flings his stick in a violent – and rather desperate – manner at Marco, but he only blocks every strike.

They lunge at each other with a flurry of swings and clashes. Jack seems to be riposting every move that Marco made, but his attacks were growing faster, and stronger. With a swift move from his arm, Marco disarms Jack and begins punching him continuously in the stomach. I feel my heart sink with every painful thudding punch, and a thin film of perspiration has settled on the back of my neck. Marco uppercuts Jack right in the face, sending him staggering backwards to the ground. He's unmoving, but he twitches with slight movement, his head bowed to the floor.

What is wrong with him? I expect him to be better than this. It's a disgrace, the way he's doing in the fight so far. It was only days ago that he was a cruel fighter who could kill a man with his bare hands. But now he was acting like he barely knew how to fight, an amateur. I huff out a breath and I could see Mia out of the corner of my eye. She was tense, her muscles bunched up like she was going to scream any moment now. I don't blame her; I feel the exact same way.

Jack quickly hauls himself to his feet just as Marco kicks him in the chest, and whacking his staff in his face. Blood comes trickling out of Jack's nose, soon turning into a gushing river of crimson. I sucked in a shaky breathe, but only to get it hitched in my throat. If he doesn't get up now, this will surely be his last time here. I can't let that happen. I see him perk his head up, directing his gaze in my direction. His eyes were glazed over with pain, and shame. I work up the nerve to intervene in this struggle.

The heat of frustration and vigor boiled in my stomach as I yelled out, "Time out! Time out!"

I hurry over to the ring, and eventual footsteps echo behind me; it was probably Mia. I hop onto the slightly raised platform, with Mia following after, and we both grab ahold of Jack's arms. He was heavy, especially now that he was in a limp, half-conscious state, but we managed to prop him in a chair. Anna moves up to join me and Mia as Jack's eyes flicker open wide, his vision clearing up.

"What the hell!" I slap him with a hand. I felt bad for doing so, but it was for his own good. "What are you doing out there? You can do better than that." I stroke his sweaty forehead with gentle fingers.

"I… I don't know. I think…" He breathes in a deep sigh before finishing his sentence. "I don't know what I'm fighting for anymore." I look at him, bewildered, but then glare with disgust. Really, that's what he tells me after nearly losing?

"That is the worst excuse, EVER!" I retorted and slap him again, this time harder. The hit jerks his head to the side and he spits out blood. I'm shaking, and my hand stings from the sharp smack. I stare at him, crestfallen. Tears threaten to blurry my vision, but I blink them away. "The reason you should fight is right in front of you." I bite the inside of my cheek in an attempt to seep down my tears. It was a rather embarrassing thing to say, but it was the truth. I cared for Jack, deeply, to the point where the feelings may be more than friendship. But as I think, an idea pricks in my mind and I lighten up.

I reach forward and search through Jack's pockets, pulling the pouch of Mirakuru herbs out. I take a pinch and raise it so that he could see it directly in front of his face.

"Open up." I said, and he looked confounded at first. He eventually follows my request and I jam the herbs into his mouth. His battered face crinkles into a wince from the bitterness. But he squirms in his seat as if his pain was magically taken away.

"All my life all I've ever fought for was to honor my sister's memory," He glances at Mia, and then back on me. "And now that she's back in my life, I don't know anymore."

"Then fight to keep her in your life." I said with a straight face. Jack lifts his eyes to me, liveliness sprinkled across his face. "You've been fighting for all of your life, to keep your memories of her alive, but now you can fight to keep the ones you love alive. But in order to that, you need to get up and fight back. Forget all the reasons you've been fighting in the past, from now on, you're fighting to keep everyone alive. Your sister needs you to win..." I fight out my last words. "And so do I." I blushed madly, my gaze avoiding his at the moment.

My words seemed to change the way he acted, and thought, before. His face hardened with determination and he stands up, his eyes sweeping the room with astonishment. I look around and notice that we've attracted a crowd of Assassins; men, women, a few children… all whom I recognized; it was such a small number within the bureau that it wasn't hard to know everyone. I assumed they were here to watch Jack and Marco fight. No surprise there since the ruckus was enough to alert a village.

"Hold this, and come with me." Jack hands his staff over to me and with a nod of my head, I do as ordered. Back in the ring, I follow him from behind, but he halts me in place. Before requesting for his weapon, he does the unexpected. He rips off his jacket, exposing his scarred torso. I've seen him more than once without a shirt – which had me as flustered as a hormonal teenage girl – but it wasn't a bad thing. I actually enjoyed it. The crowd around us baffled. The women squealed, and I swore I heard Anna swoon. I blushed yet again, but my insides were teeming with slight jealously.

Jack looks back at me. We swapped items; he tosses me his jacket, and I toss him the staff. I descend down to the ground and lean against the ring's railings, watching Jack twirl the stick all around. He points it at Marco, taunting him with a devious smile. They come at each other, spinning their bodies along with their sticks. They collide together, and Jack doesn't lose aim this time. He keeps one hand at the end of one side and Marco does the same. Their behavior has become more erratic, more ruthless. Up, down, up, down. That's where their sticks are hitting each other. Jack picks up the pace, and after many repetitive slaps that came out unsuccessful, he managed to make one.

He pierced the blunt edge of his stick into Marco's chest and spun his weapon behind him. Marco appears slightly dazed, giving Jack the chance to land another hit to the side of his neck. He falls to his knees and Jack steps away, allowing him to get up. Marco heaves himself to his feet and charges at Jack, stick in hand. He attempts jabs to his chest, but Jack just blocks each attack. He swapped sides to his staff by gripping in the center in order to have three ways of attack, and Marco does the same.

The beatings were mixed up; Jack aimed for his left side, he blocks with his right but sometimes he'll attempt a high strike, and Jack would have to use his staff's middle section to block. Marco's uppercut it a bit too deep, so Jack slides his attack upwards, and knock his arms up away from his chest. With an opening in sight, his belly is completely exposed; Jack spins his waist around, and lands a heavy kick into his stomach.

He rolls further across the ring, and when he stands back up, he knee's his staff to break it in half. Marco takes the two splintered parts and twirls them around, trying to distract Jack with the spinning. Marco throws both of his sticks at him, but he duck backwards, and jumps back up. He's now defenseless; to make matters fairer, Jack drops his own staff and goes at him with hand-to-hand combat. He punches first, and then Marco sweeps his fist away, and smacks his hand in his face.

Marco shrugs it off and tries another strike, which Jack tried to block, but he caught his wrist. He attempted another hit on him with his other fist, but he catches that one too. Marco wraps Jack's hands together, and prepares to flip him over. But he jumps over his hold, and now he's the one throwing him.

However, when Marco brought himself up, he reached for Jack's full length staff, and now he is defenseless. Jack blocks each hit of the staff with ease. After a series of hindering the strikes, he catches the staff and spins it furiously in his hands. He starts spinning around Marco, seeking to distract him rather than attack him head-on. This technique works and while he's preoccupied, Jack throws him back the weapon. Marco is off guard, so Jack charges at him and jumps to his neck, wrapping his legs around his neck.

I smirk, amused by his move. I do believe it's called a triangle choke. It's very similar to what I did to him when we were imprisoned. Jack releases and immediately pummels Marco's back with many precise punches. He leans down towards the ground and using his legs, he flings him all the way on the other side of the ring.

Marco is unmoving, signaling that Jack won. The crowd erupted with cheering, and I felt the tension within me dissolve into relief. I clapped along with the applause as joyful tears filled my eyes. Jack did it, he won. I knew he could. Now he will be part of the brotherhood, an Assassin by my side.

Mia scrambled onto the ring and tackled Jack with a hug. "You've won, Jack! Thank goodness, I'm so happy!" she exclaimed.

He smiled down at his ecstatic sister, patting her brown hair lovingly. His eyes snapped up to me, and I can do nothing but grin widely at him as the tears threatened to spill over. I had the urge to run up there as well and embrace him, to feel his strong arms around me, to maybe kiss him too… but I restrained myself. Oh dear, what has gotten into me… Jack let go his sister's grasp and went over to check on Marco, who was still on the floor.

But just as he was about to touch him, Marco slowly pulls himself up, and at the same time, was laughing manically. His laughing grew louder; I was afraid that the fight might have seriously messed him up, or maybe he just became crazy for losing, but it was the complete opposite.

"Jesus, kid, you really can fight," Marco said as his laughing subsided. "I haven't been thrown like that in years. I take it you learned that in Heiwa."

"I certainly did." Jack smiled. "I've been around a few places in this world."

"Well then, follow me. Elsa, Anna, Mia come with me too." Marco gestured for us to follow him. Jack walks over to me and I hand him his blue jacket.

We begin filing out, but just as we were about to leave the training room, Marco turns around to the bewildered crowd. "DISMISSED!" he shouts out and everyone disperses in minutes. We follow him to his office, where he stops in front of his wardrobe. He pulls out Assassin robes from inside: it's a white and blue trench coat, a red sash across the belt with a metallic Assassin symbol attached, and a beak sewed onto the hood. It's very similar to my own outfit, except without much leather armored pieces. I recognize it as Marco's old uniform when he was younger.

"These robes were mine, when I was your age." Marco presents them to Jack. "I was hoping to give it to Elsa, but she couldn't grow into 'em."

My cheeks turn warm at the mention, even when Jack glances back at me. Damn, why must he tell everyone? I know I'm small, but I can't help it! Jack needed to change and privacy was definitely ensured, especially with three girls in the room, so Anna, Mia, and I all stepped out into the hall. I was silent as Anna and Mia talked with each other. I was too caught up in my thoughts to even understand what they were talking about.

There was movement on the other side of the hallways. I looked over to see a large figure moving in our direction. They passed by the candlelight and I realized it was Kristoff. He was a close associate of the Assassins, not quite one though. He was the bartender in the bureau and cooked for guests at the inn in the nearby village. Kristoff proved to be a reliable friend of mine and I respected him immensely, and so did everyone else.

"Kristopher!" Anna ran up to him and hugged him as he met up with us. He was twice her size, like a grizzly bear compared to cat. I was afraid that he would smother her, but that would never happen. They were really good friends, Anna and Kristoff. They could be a couple, though I haven't seen any signs of romance between the two, besides the occasional hug.

"It's Kristoff," he muttered with a smile. Anna would teasingly call them that since she mistaken his name when she first met him. I grinned warmly as he waved to me, and to Mia. We talked a little, but then Marco's voice pierced through the door.

"Alright girls, you can come in now." We reentered and I marveled at Jack's new attire. How handsome… I noticed that he was looking at Kristoff with a serious face; there was the faint creases of jealously written upon his features.

"Who are you?" he asked with no jealously in his tone whatsoever. I guess he's not.

"Name's Kristoff. I run the bar down here, and during the evenings, I cook for the inn down the road at the village." He said.

"Cool." Jack smiled with ease.

"Anyway." Marco interrupts before the conversation could get flowing. "Normally we have ceremonies for this type of occasion, but since it's just you, I hope you don't mind we skip it."

"Please, by all means." Jack said.

"Jack Frost. Brother to Mia Frost. Once you were a mercenary, a man whose sole purpose is to just survive, but now. You stand before me as someone else. A man with true purpose." Marco placed both hands on Jack's shoulders, and smiled. "Welcome to the brotherhood."

"YEAH!" Kristoff shouts, nearly making me jump. "Drinks are on me tonight."

Oh yes, a drink definitely sounds good. And that's what we do.


	8. Chapter 7

The clump of us, excluding Marco who had business to attend to, all exited his office and started down the hallway toward the bar. It was located in a small room near the dining hall, which were a few paces around the next corridor. I walked beside Jack with Mia on his other side. She was quiet as she stared ahead, listening to Kristoff and Anna's rather enthusiastic conversation. Anna was talking about the hunting trip she recently went on, and how she managed to take down an aggressive elk. It was impressive, really, but I didn't pay much attention to the details.

Jack, Mia, and I lagged behind the two, deciding to give them some space to ramble with each other, especially since Anna is known for that. We turned into the next hallway where a few Assassins were milling around; they noticed us, and acknowledged Jack with a friendly smile or wave. He must now be popular among the bureau for actually defeating Marco in a fight, something that has never been done before. He waved shyly back, and then as we passed them, he sighed. I glanced at him from the side.

Before I could ask what was wrong, he said in a low voice, "Are you… uh, with Kristoff?"

I stared at him, my eyebrows raised. "What? Oh, no, we're just friends." I laughed. "Besides, I think he has a thing for Anna, but I'm not sure."

Jack nodded, and breathed out as if relieved. "Okay," and then he added in a murmur that I barely caught. "That's good."

I didn't bother responding since we arrived at the bar shortly afterwards. As I said, it was a small chamber with a hearty atmosphere. Wooden tables and chairs were strewn all over the room that already had patrons sitting in them. The bar was at the back with a long, smooth countertop and some stools. Along the wall were shelves that carried bottles of spices, drinks, and the occasional trace of food. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace with an unknown hunk of meat roasting over it on a skewer. I don't know what it was, but it smelled great; hopefully dinner will be here soon.

Kristoff walked ahead and to the opposite side of the bar. We followed after and I sat next to Jack on the very end.

"What do you guys feel like having?" Kristoff asked as he stooped down and brought out a few mugs. "There's mead, ale, whiskey… and oh, rum that came all the way from the coastal! I also have goat milk if you don't want alcohol." He chuckled, and I grinned at his comment.

Anna and Mia both ask for ale. I wanted the usual, which was mead mixed with a little whiskey. It really brought out the flavor. Though it made me want to gag, it sharpened my senses; that always felt good. Jack asked for plain mead. As Kristoff was preparing our drinks, Jack reached into his pockets and pulled out a handful of those blueberries from earlier today. Along with it came a small bowl and a pestle, in which he placed the berries inside. I quirked an eyebrow as he began mashing until it was nothing but blue pulp sprinkled with tiny seeds. As if he sensed my eyes on him, he glimpsed up.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I like to mix my mead with blueberries. It balances out the bittersweet flavor. Would you like to try some?" He said while Kristoff slid our mugs of foaming mead to us. I nodded and he poured some of the blueberry pulp into my drink, and then into his own. I grabbed the mug's handle, swirling the amber liquid around, and took a sip. The mead wasn't as strong as it usually was, probably because of the blueberry mixed in. Instead it tasted almost sweet, but still had the pungent alcohol kick. After a long swig, the flavor really had a grip on me.

"Wow!" I said as I placed the mug back on the counter. "That's really good."

"Told you so." Jack grinned and took another sip. I looked about and saw Kristoff cleaning a mug with a dirty rag; he was talking with Anna and Mia, who were taking small sips of their ale.

"I don't mean to be a killjoy on our fun-time right now, but I think we should focus on getting to Tris. You know, before the Templars do."

Jack slammed his cup back down, nodding while wiping his mouth with a sleeve. "Yeah, definitely. Got any ideas?" I thought for a moment, and that's when I remembered. Kristoff was not only a bartender and cook, but he was also the Assassins' ear. Whenever he overheard information regarding the Templars or other interesting news, he would tell us. That is how we get most of our contracts aligned, or how we plan to overthrow a Templar's shady scheme.

"Hey, Kris," when he looked up, I gestured for him to come over.

"How can I help you?" he said.

"Do you have any news for me?" I asked and took a quick sip of my drink.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Kristoff leaned forward, just so Jack and I could hear. These revelations weren't really secretive, but I guess that's just how he rolls, telling things in a classified matter. "I got word that a Templar caravan was passing through here. They were holding prisoners captive – sex slaves, I think. But I'm quite sure they're long gone by now." I bit the inside of my cheek, and my fingers curled tighter around my mug's handle. This wasn't new, but it was sure as hell atrocious. I don't understand why people would do such things; but alas, they were Templars, after all. Most of them were monsters anyways.

"Okay…" I sighed. "Have you heard of a girl by the name of Tris?" I didn't want to delve deeper into details. It would only be time consuming.

"Tris?" He frowned. "No, I'm afraid I haven't. Oh, but I have more news that might help you. My sources tell me that there's going to be a ball taking place in Prochnost, hosted by a Templar."

I straightened up in my seat. "What's their name?"

Kristoff shrugged his broad shoulders. "I dunno. I think it's Duke, or something like that."

"A ball?" Jack scoffed. "Aren't those for rich, snobby aristocrats?"

"Exactly, but it's our only chance of getting one step closer in finding Tris. Here's what I've thought of so far: me and you," I pointed to Jack. "could dress up all fancily in formal clothing and somehow get into the party, posing as – let's say – a married couple." His cheeks reddened and I tried my best to ignore it as I spoke on. "Then we could have Anna and Mia, since they're the sneakiest, infiltrate the lower vicinity and steal whatever information they can."

"Okay," Jack nodded slowly. "I like that. But what about Duke?"

"We assassinate him, simple as that," I said. "But that's after he spills any vital data."

"So you'll be a distraction to the guards and Duke?" Kristoff asked.

"Yes," I nodded. "It's still a fresh plan, so I'll need to confirm it with Marco."

"Did you say formal clothing?" Jack winces. "You mean I have to wear a suit, or some gaudy tailcoat?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's not that bad. And hey, I have to wear a dress."

"Here's the thing," Kristoff cut in. "You have to be invited – like actually receive an invitation in hand – in order to get in." I was silent as I flipped over ideas in my mind. There's the option of stealing it from some aristocrats, but that would take hours of planning, and the danger of getting into serious trouble.

"Excuse me." The three of us turned our heads back, to a man sitting a table away. He wore the typical Assassin robes with his hood down, and he held a drink in both hands upon the wooden surface. The sight of his short, sandy hair, pale skin, and bright green eyes made me question who he was at first, but then I recognized him as Hugh. He lived among the bureau as a simple Assassin who killed on occasion. I know him, as I do for everyone, but we weren't real close friends. He was so mysterious and never revealed too much about himself. "Did you say you needed some invitations for a ball?"

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Jack had the edge of hostility on his tone. His abrupt flare of aggression caused me to glance at him warily. The alcohol must really be getting to his head.

"Ah, if it isn't Jack Frost," Hugh stood up and made his way to us. "I've heard much about you in the timespan of only a few hours. It's remarkable how you were able to take down Marco. I'm Hugh, by the way. I couldn't help but overhear that you were planning on getting into a party?"

"That's right." I said.

"Well, you're in luck," Hugh grinned. "I'm friends with a great man called Santa Claus. Jack, I presume you know him?" He looked at the brown-haired man, smirking. Jack was speechless and just stared at him with widening eyes. "I'll take that as a yes. I can help you get into that party."

"How?" I looked at him, slightly skeptical.

"Are you going to steal the invitations?" Kristoff interfered as he scratched at the stubble on his chin.

Hugh's eyes sparkled. "Better than that. I'm gonna forge you a pair."

"How in the world are you going to do that?" Jack gave him an incredulous scowl.

"Magic." Hugh chuckled. "Nah, it's a special skill of mine, and it's rather easy, too. So what do you say?"

"Fine," I spoke up first. "But we'll need to talk to Marco about it."

After all of us finished our drinks, Jack and I followed Hugh to Marco's office. Anna and Mia stayed behind with Kristoff to talk some more. I wanted them to come so that they would be aware of the plan, but I guess they will know soon. Besides, I was quite sure that they will agree to go along with the mission. Those two always seemed to be up for an adventure.

We weaved through hallways and around corners until the door to our destination came into view. Hugh stepped forward and knocked politely with a light rapping of his knuckles. There was silence for a moment, and then I heard Marco's voice calling for us to come on in. We all filed into the room to find Marco seated at his desk, scribbling down notes with a feathered pen by the candlelight.

As expected, he asked what we needed, and I was first to speak and propose our idea. Once I spilled the entire plan, with the occasional helpful comments from Jack or Hugh, Marco actually agreed.

"Did you say the Templar's name is Duke?" Marco asked after our lengthy discussion.

"Well, that's what Kristoff thinks, but we're not so sure." I answered.

"Hmm, I think I know who you're talking about." He stood up from his throne-like chair and paced the room. "His name is Duke Weselton, a Templar with quite the notorious reputation. From what I can recall, he's a slaver."

"Really?" Jack spoke up. "That gives us an even bigger reason to travel to Prochnost."

Marco nodded. "Yes. I like your idea, Elsa." He glanced at me. "With the advantage of this ball, not only can you steal possible information regarding Tris, but also take down a Templar."

"Killing two birds with one stone." Hugh grinned.

"Hugh," Marco looked at the man. "You said you can forge invitations, right?"

"That is correct, sir." He said.

"Good. You go do that." Marco ordered Hugh. He bowed and turned to leave the room, leaving us behind. "And you two," he averted his gaze to me and Jack. "I'd advise that you pack and get some rest, especially after all you've been through."

"Where would I sleep?" Jack asked.

"Oh," Marco rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm afraid there aren't any open rooms at the moment… You will have to room with Elsa. But once you get back from Prochnost, which will surely be a long trip, I will make sure that you'll get your very own sleeping chamber."

I nearly got choked up for a second, but cleared my throat. The warmth was seeping into my cheeks again. I tried to avoid Jack's eyes.

"Now scurry off, you two," Marco said. "I have to finish this paperwork." I nodded, still not saying anything, and continued out of the room with Jack on my heels. I lead him down the hall and to the next, where my room was located among the corridor.

"Damn, am I tired…" Jack said through a loud yawn. I giggled softly, but remained silent. I felt weary too; my limbs ached, my mind spun with the daze of alcohol, and my feet were literally dragging along the carpeted floor. "Shouldn't we tell Anna and Mia about the plan?" he asked as we came upon the door to my chamber.

"I'm sure Marco will inform them about it." I responded and twisted the doorknob. I don't know exactly how long it has been since I've set foot in here, but it was like a breath of fresh air. The room, as I may have said before, was small. It didn't offer much space, but I think me and Jack can cope until tomorrow.

"Nice room," Jack looked around. "A bit cramp, but it's comfy."

"Thanks." I moved over to the chest on the opposite side and discarded my weapons inside. I had forgotten that I still had them strapped to me. "You can place your stuff over there." I jabbed a thumb towards a rickety table made out of smooth wood.

"Not in the chest?" Jack smirked.

"That's for me only, sorry." I said with a light chuckle.

"Whatever." His tone was slightly teasing. "Anyways, do I sleep with you in the bed?" Heat burned my cheeks. I haven't even thought about that until now. I guess he could, but it would rather awkward since my bed was small and we would be squashed together. Sure, we did sleep aside each other that one night in the woods. However, we weren't surrounded by a mattress and mounds of blankets, so it was different in this case.

"Ah, well, my bed's only meant for one person…" I said meekly. "Do you mind sleeping on the ground?"

He shrugged. "I've slept in worse places."

"Okay. Here, take these to make it more comfortable." I yanked my wardrobe open and pulled out a blanket and pillow. The blanket was made out of wool. Good for insulating heat, and the pillow was a simple cotton sack full of feathers. I threw them to him and he murmured his thanks.

"I'm going to go wash up." I said as I scooped up a towel and draped it over an arm.

"Alright, see you in the morning, Elsa." His smile was the last thing I saw before I left the room.


	9. Chapter 8

**Thanks, Dr. Archangel, for writing up this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

When I laid myself down to sleep, my mind delved into a bleak, hazy world. It offered nothing but restoration to my weary body. The sleep was dreamless, and nightmares didn't dare set a foot inside either. Even though I was numb to reality and barely able to think properly, I appreciated the peace it brought. Hours passed by – or perhaps it was the entire night – before I stirred awake by a series of uneasy noises. I wasn't sure what they were until I fully roused.

I blinked and my eyes darted around the small room. It was dim, but the nearby fire produced a soft glow among the darkness. Sunlight peeked through the closed curtains; morning must be here already. The low sounds were still distinguishable, and I realized that they were incoherent mutters and hisses of torment. They were from Jack, I just knew it, but where did he go? I looked over the edge of my bed to see that he was nowhere to be seen. My ears strained and I swear the noises were coming from _under _my bed.

I scrunched my face in confusion and swung my legs over to stand up. Peering down, I saw that it was Jack and he was indeed tucked underneath my bed. His current sleeping state appeared frustrated, frantic even, like he was experiencing a terrifying nightmare. He shifted violently, his hands clenching into fists and a threatening scowl contorting his pale features. He normally wasn't that pale. His teeth gritted as if he was in pain, and the droning seemed endless.

"Jack?" I called to him. My voice was panicky, and I think it cracked while saying his name. He didn't wake; the nightmare stubbornly kept a firm grip on him.

"Jack." I repeated a little louder. Still no luck.

"JACK!" I yelled, and he finally wakes abruptly.

"WHAT WHA – " He sits up quickly and unknowingly smacks his forehead against the bed's support beams. "AHH! GOD… Dammit." I cringe slightly at his shriek, sympathetic about the pain he must be feeling, but I can't help the giggle that hummed behind my closed lips. He turns to look up at me, his dark eyes glazed over with sheer relief.

"Jack, why were you sleeping under my bed?" I asked with a small smirk. He doesn't respond, but returns my question with heavy breathing, and his skin has drained even more of color. He crawls out from underneath the bed with haste and stands back up on his wobbly legs. For a moment, he just stares at me; his eyes wander over from head to toe, taking in my very persona before him. I feel the heat creep onto my cheeks and I want to look away, but I can't.

Only seconds after that had he engulfed me into an embrace. It was surprising, and I didn't know how to react as my arms stayed in place at my sides. This was our first act of intimacy – and maybe I shouldn't use intimacy in that context, but let's just say it was our first actual hug. You would expect me to me uncomfortable, but I really wasn't. His arms around me were probably the best feeling in the world.

He began trembling all over and that's when I decided to snake my arms under his armpits, and clasped behind his back. The height difference allowed me to mold more easily into his defined body. He gripped my waist tighter, and I swear he was going to suffocate me sooner or later. One of his tears dripped onto my shoulder, staining my sleeping gown. I didn't mind. His hand slides up into my hair; I sigh contently. My cheek was meshed against his chest, and I could faintly hear his rapid heartbeat.

"You're still alive!" he stuttered.

"It's okay…shh...shhhh. It's okay Jack. It's over now, you're awake. It's okay." I comforted him in that gentle tone that I used to Anna whenever she was hurt, whether physically or mentally. We continue holding onto each other for what seemed to be an eternity, but was only a few minutes. What a shame, I wanted it to last just a little longer.

He pulled away and began wiping the tears away from his reddened face. "I'm so sorry." He said while wiping his nose.

"No… it's okay. If I had a nightmare I'd hug you too." I smiled delightfully even though there were tears pricking at my eyes, but dared not to spill over.

After a moment of silence, a chuckle rumbles in Jack's throat and he smiled. "You know, it's funny."

"What is?" I wondered.

"We tried to kill each other when we first met, and soon we'll be going to a ball as a fake married couple." He said with a big smile. "What's the message in that?"

I blushed again. He was right; the fact that we went from enemies to friends in such a short timespan was unbelievable. I really don't regret meeting him though, even if I was on the verge of death that night. I end up shaking my head and make my way from off the floor, beckoning for him to do that same. "C'mon, get up."

"Got it." He gladly answered and hoisted himself up.

"Okay listen. I'm going to go get dressed, do you mind stepping outside?" I asked, glancing at the wardrobe sitting in the corner of the room.

"Of course." Jack complied with no argument. Before stepping out, he grabbed his blue jacket and slipped through the door. With him now gone, I walked over to retrieve my clothes. I came to the conclusion of wearing a navy blue blouse, beige pants, and a pair of flat slip-on shoes. I stripped off my gown, folded it up nicely while stashing it into the wardrobe, and pulled on my new outfit. I looked briefly into the mirror and brushed out any tangles in my hair, and eventually styled out my usual braid. Content with my appearance – at least for the most part – I exited the room.

Outside I stepped into the fading conversation between Jack and Mia. They were both sitting closely on the ground, and Mia held a steaming cup of – what I think – hot chocolate. Their eyes snapped to me as I made my presence known.

"Am I interrupted something?" I asked.

"No." Jack said.

"Not at all." Mia added.

A shadow of pain flickers over Jack's face and he furrows his brow, his eyes staring into the floor. "So what do you guys have for breakfast?" he asked, looking back up at me.

"It's this way." I said, and gestured for them to follow me. I headed toward the mess hall with the other two trailing behind. Mia's voice perks up as she asks Jack a question, and I can't help but listen on.

"So… Marco told me about the mission we have, in Prochnost." She said. Jack is silent after that, like he's thinking hard about something. I want to glance back, but I don't as I turn the next corner. A few Assassins in casual clothing loiter in the hallway; they greet me and I just give a bob of my head, with a small smile.

"You okay, brother?" I can hear Mia again behind me.

"Let's just say I had a hard wake up call." Jack replied in a low voice. Empathy tingles in the pit of my stomach, especially with my knowledge that he confronted a pretty bad nightmare. I can't help but stifle a giggle as I thought of the exact way that he woke up. Poor guy.

Mia and Jack join alongside me. "Okay?" she sounds skeptical, but instead turns her attention onto me. By now, we made it to the bar. People of all shapes and ages crowded the room, buzzing with chatter. The smell of various breakfast foods, like eggs and bacon, wafted through the thick air.

"I'll go find us some seats. Mia, whatever you order, I'll have the same." Jack offered.

"Okay." Mia said and accompanied me to order the food. She walked close and as we moved out of earshot from Jack, she murmured, "Had fun with Jack last night?" To make things even more uncomfortable, she raised an eyebrow suggestively. I blushed and she giggled.

"No! Of course not…" I nervously exclaimed as we stepped into line. We waited to get to the front in silence. I ordered a ham and cheese omelet, while Mia got an egg biscuit with the side of bacon. The food was scheduled to be ready momentarily, so the two of us rejoined with Jack at a wide table with flat benches. Maneuvering through the room was easier since the crowd had diminished slightly. I notice Anna appear and I hug her. Mia follows her, leaving me and Jack alone. I decide to scurry off for a moment to retrieve my food, and walk back with the omelet platter that smelled heavenly.

"Nice omelet." Jack complimented, staring down at the dish.

"You want half?" I offered.

"No, I'm good." He said before munching on a strip of bacon.

"You sure?" I persisted. "I mean, you did have a rough night. I don't mind."

Jack thinks for a second, and then turns to me. ""Alright, I'll take it, but only if you take a piece of my bacon. Just to make it fair."

"Alright." I agreed, and cut off a small portion of my omelet. Jack hands me a slice of bacon and I wholeheartedly accepted it. We took a bite from our food simultaneously.

"That's a real good omelet." He nodded while chewing. I smiled at him, and after I was done swallowing, I asked about something that has been gnawing away at my wondering brain.

"Jack, what did you dream of?"

He freezes in his movements, and I swear he goes stark pale. "Elsa, what's your full name?"

I looked at him oddly, confused at such an irrelevant question. "No, answer mine first."

"I am trying to, only more slowly than I should." The serious features on his face didn't change one bit.

I rolled my eyes, and said, "My name is Elizabeth Wilson Winters. Elsa is just Elizabeth for short." He nodded as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"My name is Jackson Jeffrey Frost." He looked to the floor before speaking on. "Winters? I like that, catchy. Where did you live before all of this?"

I sighed as I began to recall my childhood – the time of my life that I don't usually like to talk about. "I use to live on the country side of Arendelle, near the mountains, but I lived in a small community town. Not much farming like you, and Mia as I remember your backstory."

"Yeah, that is." Jack said. "I just thought that conversation would be easier for me start with. So I can know more about you. Now here's what I dreamt of." He took a deep breath before continuing on. "I was in a… a dark room. It was filled with strange weapons, and devices. Every one I've met so far was dead. All around me…all but you. But it didn't last long though. In the dream, I had your neck in my hand, and a blade in the other. You were pleading to me for your life, and I stabbed you through the heart."

He paused shortly as trembles assaulted his body. It looked like a gloom had descended upon him, and he wasn't even making eye contact. "I dreamt that I killed you, and the worst part was… I didn't even know my own self."

I'm struck by his awful nightmare. The entire thing is disturbing, obviously, but I suddenly feel drained. It won't ever happen though. I'll die someday, but it sure as hell won't be anytime soon. The potential between me and Jack was enormous. I can't imagine living in a world without him, honestly.

I reach forward and place my hands atop his left one. They're cold at first touch, but the warmth from my own raise the temperature moderately. He looked up at me, and I think my face is wrinkled with fear. "Jack Jeffrey Frost! That is never gonna happen. I care about you, and I know you care about me. That will never happen to us."

He eases out of his shaking and appears less anxious. "Do you think?"

I don't respond with words, or even an expression of some kind. I just lean forward and plant another kiss on his cheek. "I know so." I smiled, and that definitely lightened him up with a smirk.

"Good."

"Hey guys." Someone greeted us from behind and we look back to see Marco.

"Hey." Jack quickly recovered and stood up from his seat.

"I just… just wanted you guys to know that you have a ship waiting for you at the nearby docks in Remington city. I've sent word already that you'll be on the way soon." Marco said.

Jack and I both jump at the mention of that. "We're leaving today?"

"Yes, the ship leaves around lunch time, so you'll need to get packing."

"Thanks Marco. Do Anna and Mia already know?" I interfered into the conversation.

"Yeah, they're already packing themselves." He assured us.

"Good, I guess we better start too." Jack assumed to me.

"Yep." I nodded.

Me and Jack head back to my room, where we pack together our belongings. Jack brings along his white trench coat and all of his weapons, which included his rifle, two pistols, and katana sword. I pack up my blue dress, making sure that it doesn't get too wrinkled. I may not be too fond of dresses, but it was my only ticket into the ball. I also bring my robes and weapons since action was indeed expected.

We meet up with Mia and Anna, and we're just about to move out of the bureau until Marco stops us. "Hey Jack… you'll need this." He first shows him a fancy suit completed with a blue tuxedo with a black tie, and black pants. The other thing is a book-sized box made out of glossy wood and a golden buckle. I recognize that from anywhere. That's where hidden blades are stored! I'm quite surprised that Marco is gifting Jack with these so early.

"Marco, are you sure it's time to give him those?" I interjected.

"Elsa, this young man beat me in a sparring match. He's more than ready."

From what I could see, Jack rolled his eyes and went up to retrieve the gifts. He stows the suit into his bag, and then opens the box. The hidden blades within were attached to dark, leather gauntlets, and they greeted him with a wicked gleam. The Assassin insignia was carved onto the blade, very much like mine.

"What are they?" he asked.

"They're called hidden blades. They're pretty easy to use." Mia stepped in.

"Lemme help." Anna moves up and helps him clasped the braces onto his forearms.

Jack tightens them to his comfort and pops out the blade for practice, or perhaps fun.

"Alright, are we ready?" I asked.

"Ready!" Anna cheered. Jack and Mia just nodded in agreement.

"Alright well, Remington City isn't too far from here. We'll need to head for the stables." I said.

Before leaving, we say a quick goodbye to Marco, and start to the outside, towards the stables. When we got there, Mia and Anna began manning their horses. I heard a familiar whinny and turned to see Thor. I run to him and stroke his soft nose, tears welling in my eyes. After that one night, I thought I lost him for sure. But it looks like he was smarter than that and found his way back home. I donned him with saddle and bridle, and we set out. Jack was riding with Mia. I understood why since he didn't own a horse yet.

The ride through the woods, with the occasional scenery of grassland, lasted about an hour. We arrived at the coastal city of Remington. It was a bustling city with many buildings, markets, and civilians. I have visited this place only a few times, all of which were for contracts. We reined our horses at the stables and I paid the man with a small pouch of coins to take them back to the bureau. After hurrying down the crowded streets, we made it to the port, and stopped upon the docks.

Our ship laid in wait on the calm, blue waters. It was a small vessel with a set of white sails that flapped in the wind.

Let us sail on!


	10. Chapter 9

**Credit to Dr. Archangel for coming up with this chapter (yet again) :P**

* * *

About a month has passed since we embarked for Prochnost. I've been informed that we should be there in another month. But if we're lucky, we'll be there in the time frame of two and a half more weeks. I was sprawled out on one of the hanging hammocks located in the lower-deck of the ship. It was a cramped room, which didn't surprise me. The rest of the ship was awfully small, with a shabby structure of rotting wood and rusted metal. The Creed was never well-financed and usually invested meagerly on nearly everything. Besides, we weren't arrogant rich people. Luxury made you flabby, and weak.

The ship seemed to have a rodent infestation, or some kind of insect, due to the dank air that was riddled with a sickly stench. Rat droppings, with the occasional cockroach carcass, sprinkled the wooden floor, and the only lighting in the entire chamber was a few dim lanterns along the walls. I placed one foot on the ground to steady myself as I sat up. Anna's hammock was empty; she was most likely wandering around on the upper-deck or meddling with the lousy sailors.

I looked over and saw Mia asleep in her hammock, curled into a flimsy blanket. The door opened, emitting a creak as it scraped across the floor, and I turned my head to see Anna entering. Faint sunlight streamed into the room, as well as a chilly gust of wind that flowed in. I shivered and pulled the sleeves of my shirt over my bare forearms. My sister wasn't quite in her Assassin robes, but she was wearing the dark pants and boots. A bulky gray jacket with a fur-lined hood covered her torso, and her light ginger hair was weaved into twin pigtails.

"Morning," she said with a toothy smile. She quickly closed the door behind her, softly apologizing for the cold from outside.

I grinned and slowly began rolling out of the hammock. "Hey. Any word on the trip so far?"

"Not really. There might be only two more weeks of sailing left." She said, and I nodded to her words. "Also, a cold front is coming in. You may want to wear something warmer."

"Right. I'll make sure to tell Mia when she wakes." I replied, glancing at the teenage girl's sleeping figure.

"Good. Well, I'll let you get ready now," said Anna as she stepped out, leaving me – along with Mia – alone in the scummy room with the rats.

* * *

We finally arrived in Prochnost, but it doesn't give off the best first impression. It smells of rotting fish – which I think is whale flesh – and the dusty exhaustion of a typical city. The skies are gloomy and crowded with dark, menacing clouds. I stand on the deck with Jack, Mia, and Anna all around me. They're all quiet as they observe the dejected landscape before us, and the clump of buildings that looked depressing against the haze.

The cold became rough to the point where I was shivering uncontrollably, and I found it unbearable. The ship slowed to a stop as it weighed anchor at the docks.

"You know what's weird?" Jack blurted out, breaking the silence. "I almost forgot what the people of this country use call this land, Gristol. The reason why outsiders renamed this country, Prochnost is because of the new leadership that took over."

"Really?" I'm rather curious, but there's no time for Jack to explain further. We're already walking off onto the docks with loose wooden planks.

"Welcome to the city of Dunwall!" Jack waved his hands up in the air, and I looked around. There were ships floating in the distance, armed with an array of long spears. I think they may be whaling ships. It was something I rarely saw, especially since I lived very far away from the sea. I glance over and see a man carrying a vat of an oozy, white substance. It was strange, but I also wondered on what it could possibly be.

"Hey Jack?" I said as I moved up to his side, snuggling deeper into my jacket. "What's in that glowing, red container over there?" I point over to the man with the mysterious barrel.

"That, Elsa, is whale oil." He said, and I scrunch my face in disgust at him.

"Whale's carry oil?" I wrinkle my nose a little at the fact.

"Yep. The whole country runs on the stuff; it's what keeps their power lines in check. See?" I tilt my head up to look around; Anna and Mia do the same. Railways and electric radio boxes were scattered all over the city, and power cables crisscrossed above us. Metal crates slide across the lines, importing anything from supplies to… bodies? My eyes widen in horror as I catch the glimpse of a bloody arm poking out from one of the large boxes. I say nothing, though.

The people around us didn't look too well. Some were violently coughing; others held a handkerchief to their nose, clutching their stomachs as if they were on the verge of vomiting. The four of us see to the dock master at the end of the pier for information, but during that, I hear the most terrifying news.

"Oye! Oye! The Rat plague has taken over two hundred lives this year. Please see to your elixir rations as soon as you can." A boy – who was most likely the town crier – speaks out before breaking out into a coughing fit.

"That Rat plague?" Mia asked. "What's that, Jack? Haven't you been here before?"

"This plague is new to me too, so whatever you think. Your guess is as good as mine." Jack concluded to his sister.

I would have expected a peaceful, maybe even luxurious atmosphere for Prochnost, but it was the complete opposite. I don't know if it was like this before or Jack was just trying to make it sound fun. I stand with Anna and Mia, with Jack in front of us. Looking off to the side of him, I see someone in a red-hooded jacket approach us. They also happen to be wearing a gas mask. Must be for the plague.

"Are you the Assassins from Arendelle?" Whispered the masked person, and I realized it was a woman.

"Yes, yes we are." I stepped in for Jack and stared warily at her. The Assassin insignia was etched onto the left eye socket of her mask. Interesting. That is very useful for fellow Assassins to identify their allegiance.

"Mentor Corvo has asked for your counseling with Santa Claus. At the Drunken Moby Dick." Another Assassin accompanies her, and he closes her statement with a bow.

"Okay… wait here for a bit." Jack takes me and we join up with Anna and Mia.

"Alright. Me and Anna are ready for our next step." Mia sounds very excited.

"Actually, you and Anna are going straight to the Bureau for some rest." I don't know what Jack's getting at, but I keep quiet and let him talk. I do think it's a good idea. They need some rest and food.

"Whoa no wait, you're leaving me Anna?" Mia retorted, and Anna huffs. I understand what Mia's feeling. Even though I loved Anna to death, she can be a pain at times.

"Elsa and I need to get a drink." Jack said. I nodded in agreement with him.

The hooded Assassin was still behind us and Jack turned around to ask him a question. "Alright, first off, what's your name?"

"Name's Billy Lurke." He takes another bow. "Yours?"

"Jack Frost." Jack points to himself, and then to the rest of us. "Elsa and Anna Winters, and my sister, Mia Frost. I need you to take Anna and Mia as guests to the bureau. Make sure they don't get into trouble. And give them a good meal." I give him a funny look, silently thinking about how he magically became leader of our group.

"Of course, but what about you and Elsa here?" Billy directs his attention to me.

"We'll go see Santa at the bar."

"Okay then, shall might I provide a word of advice; try not to kill anyone. The more bodies that drop, the more food for rats, the more rats, the more the plague grows. Capiche?" Billy warned.

"Got it. No bodies dropping anytime soon." I agreed, and Jack nodded in accordance.

"Not ever!" I'm quite sure that he's glaring at us. I can tell from the slightly hostile glint from behind the transparent goggles on his mask. "Anyway, do you need directions to the bar?"

"No don't worry, I know this place like the back of my hand." Jack claimed proudly, with a confident smile.

"Just see to Anna and Mia behind us." I reminded him.

"Okay." He makes his way to escort them to the bureau, and Jack and I began heading towards the bar. During the walk, I cautiously glance around, but stay close to Jack for obvious reasons. The condition of this city was critically disturbing. Never before have I seen so many bodies piled up in the streets, with the bystanders who were still alive acting like those weren't even there. We pass by a victim covered with flies, and I think he was still alive.

I choke back a gag at the smell of decomposing flesh and the filthy rats that nibble at the corpses. The river comes into view and along with it, a big sign that reads "Drunken Moby Dick." I do believe this is our destination. As we enter the bar, I'm surprised at how it contrasts the outside. The people seem healthy – lively too. They talk and laugh with each other, and manage to drink without it coming back up.

We've only made a few steps within until I hear a hearty laugh. "Jack Frost?! HAH!" Jack and I both turn around to see a big man wearing a red jacket and hat with white faux fur. He had a long, white beard and his cheeks were rosy. I couldn't tell if it was from the cold or too much drink.

"My favorite westerner!" He wraps Jack in a bear hug and lifts him up at least a couple of feet in the air. "Slishkom dolgo moy drug." He then spoke in a language that I didn't recognize at all.

"Nichevo strashnova Santa Claus, but it has been far too long." Jack responded back in the same language, I think. I still don't understand. He looked at me and said, "Santa Claus, this is my partner, Elsa Winters."

"Hi." I said in a polite tone.

"Please tell me you've been sleeping with him?" Santa asked.

Embarrassment floods my insides and I feel my face grow hot. I stare hard at Jack for answers, but he just shrugged and said he doesn't know.

"Kinda, twice. It's not what you think though." I replied, shyly.

"Ochen' milo." Santa grinned. "As long as you've at least slept with him. Then you are my second favorite westerner, HAHA!" He engulfs me in an unexpected hug and squeezes me just as tight as he did with Jack. I swear I couldn't breathe for those few seconds. When he lets go, and I have the chance to recuperate, he then says, "Anyway, Corvo's waiting for us back at the bureau."

"I thought the meeting was here?" Jack speaks up to him.

Santa puts a finger to his lips and shushes us. ""We'll have to get over there through the back room."

"Whoa, whoa, wait, the back room?" Jack suddenly sounds nervous, and he flushes.

"What's in the back?" I can't help but ask for the sake of curiosity.

"I ugh… ugh… well…" He stuttered at first, but then paused and continued in a clear voice. "Ok, whatever happens back there, just know you're the only woman I've ever slept with."

"What?!" I end up shouting loud enough for the entire bar to hear, but I don't care. What the hell is this guy hiding?

Jack refuses to look me in the eyes, his cheeks blushing. I see him glance at Santa and he chuckles underneath his fluffy beard. Santa leads us to the back, leaving the bards and drunkards behind, and into a more private room. I grab Jack firmly by the shoulder and swing myself beside him. "Jack! What is back there?"

He doesn't answer, and instead catches his breath as the door opens. I am immensely appalled by the sight before me that I can barely contemplate.

"Strippers?!" I blushed madly. Not only were women exposing themselves, but men too. They danced around, half-naked in tight leather pants, and the women sauntered in their lingerie. This was not right, not at all. I feel highly violated. Why would anyone do this, for the entertainment of perverts? I don't even notice that Jack tugs me close to him and follows Santa away from the horror. We pass from the show and into his office. Behind the back wall, he reveals an underground passage beneath some wooden planks.

"Wait, we have to go down in the sewers? Why didn't we just go through the sewer gates?!" Jack sounds really upset. I don't blame him.

"I just wanted to see your faces on the way here. That's all." Santa laughed, clutching his big belly.

"You owe us!" I stepped quickly in front of them and huff irritably. I crossed by arms as I walked down the passage without them for the time being. I can hear them conversing, but I don't pick out any words. I walk a little further, grimacing as my feet splash in a shallow pool of sewage. Finally, Jack dashes up to my side, with Santa behind. We travel through dim, smelly tunnels, wading through sewage and garbage that nearly reached out knees. We reach the Assassin encampment, and I breathe out in relief. My muscles were sore, plus I need a good wash.

All of the Assassins were wearing the same uniform and gas mask, like Billy. Some were in red instead of navy blue. There was a man in a metal skull mask waiting patiently for us.

"Mentor Corvo?" Jack asked to the masked man.

"The one and only." Out from the darkness, another man appears, wearing a red whaling jacket.

"And what's your name?" I spoke up.

"Name's Daud, Corvo's second-in-command." His voice is deep and intimidating.

"The bureau and meeting is this way." Corvo points in a specific direction with a finger. We follow him and walk a bit more down a long passageway. I really don't like this trip, honestly. I know Jack holds Prochnost in a special place in his heart and I respect that. However, the plague, strippers, and trudge through sewerage sludge were making me think otherwise. After some time, we arrive at what looks to be a deserted hotel.

"Welcome to the flooded district. As much as a giant den for the sickening as is our bureau." Daud tells us.

"So explain to us," I said with a glare. "Why did we have to go through all of that just to get to the bureau?"

"I'm sorry about that, lass." Santa apologizes. "We had to split you and your siblings to avoid suspicion. For once, the Templars have eyes everywhere. That's why we brought you two here the long way."

"What about Mia and my sister? Where are they?" I demanded, and crossed my arms as irritation prickled at my skin.

"They're fine." Corvo assured while removing his mask. Underneath was a young, scarless face of about mid-thirties with longish, black hair. He was rather attractive, but nothing to go completely crazy over.

"Like you wanted; they're resting, and they're well fed. Now with that whole delay, let's get down to business. First a drink." Daud said, taking out a small flask that said "King Street Brandy" on the side.

"None for me, thanks." I refused.

Jack slides me a shot glass, and softly muttered, "That's rude over there." I give him a small nod and take the glass. The others all have their drinks, including Santa whose hands are too big for his own shot glass.

"To ending the Rat plague." Corvo raises his glass in the air, and we swig down our drinks. As soon as the liquid touched my tongue, I scrunched my face from the taste. It was very bitter, much stronger than anything I have had, but I forced it down my throat.

"Now then," Corvo said as Daud spread out a map on the table. "Here's where the Ball is; it's in the Rose district, and it's full of the rich people. There just drinking up, and partying like there's no rat plague at all." There's a trace of aversion in his tone. He probably does not like the rich. This is no surprise; almost everyone, whose income wasn't high enough, hated aristocrats.

"So what's the plan?" Jack asked.

"The ball is being hosted by the Boyle family, and it's in their estate."

At that moment, I see a figure lurk out of the shadows. They come into the light and I see it was just Hugh. I'm relieved that he actually held his end of the bargain and came. "Oh there you are, Hugh." I greeted him as he approached us. "How goes the forging?" Anna and Mia arrive shortly afterwards.

"Alright, now that we're all here, let's get down to business. Now, we'll be able to get you the ball, but getting inside will be up to you guys. We have an informant in there, so she'll be able to direct you to the Duke." Corvo began.

"If I may, Corvo." Hugh stepped forward with a bow. "I hereby present these forged invitations to our friends here. So getting inside the ball will not be our problem anymore."

"Good job, Hugh." Santa said while pouring himself another drink. Jack and Corvo join him in drinking, raising their glasses before gulping down with no spilling. I frown slightly down at my empty glass. My tongue is parched from the alcohol, but I forget about it and roll my eyes, a smile forming upon my lips.

"Anyway," Daud snapped us back to reality. "You, Jack and Elsa, will be our distraction, right?"

Me and Jack look at each other. He smirks in agreement and I return it with a smile, nodding back at Daud.

"Good, your job should be simple enough; just enjoy the party, but we'll need you guys to somehow lure Duke into the cellars. As for you two." Daud turns his attention to Anna and Mia. "Our mole on the inside will help you secure transport for the duke. Once Jack and Elsa bait the duke, it'll be up to you guys to spring the trap."

"Hey, I gotta ask," I said. "Does the name Tris ring any bells?" Santa, Corvo, and Daud look at each other in confusion, and then turn back to me, shaking their heads.

"Maybe Duke'll know something. More than one reason to have him out of the picture." Santa spoke first.

"So what's in this for you guys?" Anna said with Mia next to her.

"Yeah, what do you all gain from all of this?" Mia added to Anna's question.

"Well…" Corvo said. "Once we take the Duke, we'll be on our way to reviving this city back to normal."

"You mean a cure to the rat plague?" I inquired.

"Exactly, which is also something I need to mention; no killing. I'm sure you already know why." Corvo addressed to all of us.

"Right, the rat plague will just spread if there'll be more dead bodies." Jack responded.

"Good, so we're all aware of the plan?"

All of us, at least the ones involved in the mission, reply with a yes or nod.

"Good, the ball's tomorrow night. We're counting on all of you guys."

We disperse after our meeting and go straight to bed, for tomorrow was an important day. I couldn't help but feel unnaturally nervous, even with this decaying, dank hotel surrounding me as refuge.


	11. Chapter 10

_I lay in a meadow, staring up at the clear, cerulean sky. The sun glared above and its light warmed my skin. The tall grasses surrounding me wavered in the light breeze, tickling my bare arms and legs with their feathery tendrils. I wore a light blue sundress that ruffled at my knees, and my hair was loose, splayed out in long curls over the earth. There was movement, a soft rustling, to my side and I turned my head, but only to look into a set of deep brown eyes._

_A man was lying next to me. Not just any man though: Jack. He was fitted in casual, dark pants and a white shirt whose top buttons were unfastened, slightly revealing his chest. I could make out the inking of his tattoo and some of the gruesome scars. His brown hair tousled in the wind as he just stared at me, love and passion glinting in his irises. He reached over and rested his hand on my thigh, his thumb beginning to encircle the soft skin there. My breath hitched in my throat, but I didn't do anything, didn't push him away. I actually found myself scooting closer to him until our bodies pressed together._

_His other hand touched my cheek, and then dropped down to wrap around my waist. Before I even knew it, he kissed me. It was gentle, tender, like he was savoring the moment. He pulled away and looked at me intensely, his face merely inches from mine._

"_I love you." He said, as soft as the breeze blowing around us. _

_I was silent, staring at him with widened eyes, unable to conjugate any words to respond. Instead, I leaned forward, begging for him to kiss me again. But just as I thought he was going to do exactly that, his hands shot up to my neck, wringing me to the point where it was painful._

"_J-Jack." I struggled to choke out, but as I looked at him, he was no longer the man I saw nearly seconds ago. He had turned dark, despicable… like a shadow of evil had contaminated his soul. The calm environment around us suddenly changed; the wind picked up to a ferocious speed, stormy clouds rolled in, and lighting forked the sky in the distance. Jack's warm, brown eyes were now black, like hardened coals, and glittered with hatred. I tried prying his hands off, but he was far too strong. _

_Then, he began to fade. It was almost as if he was a pile of dust and the wind was blowing him away, piece by piece. He was slipping from my grasp. By the time I could even think about what was going on, it was too late. He was gone. _

I jolted awake, my breathing coming fast and hard. It took some time to contemplate, but I realized it was all a dream – or should I say a nightmare. I looked around at the compact, dusty room and the two other girls that shared the uncomfortable bed with me. Anna and Mia were still asleep, undisturbed by my sudden awaking. I almost forgot that they were here. Apparently, according to this particular bureau, the opposite sexes couldn't sleep in the same room, for it could cause unnecessary intimacy.

I was ordered to share a room with my sister and Mia, but I didn't mind that much, after all. They were both quiet in their sleep, and not to mention, heavy sleepers too. I pushed the bed covers off of me and stood up. My bare feet came in contact with the stony ground, sending chills up my spine. I'm not sure what time it was, since we were underground and the sun was nowhere to be seen, but I got dressed in the dark anyways. I slipped on dark pants, boots – which was my typical wardrobe – and a thin, simple gray jacket.

There was light knock at the door. Surprisingly, not even that woke Anna and Mia. I walked over and opened it. Jack was on the other side, making me freeze in place. The vague nightmare flashed through my mind and I felt suddenly nauseous, but I didn't show it.

"Hey." I said and tried to put on a smile.

"Mornin'." He smirked. "Sorry to be a bother, but I just wanted to check on you."

"No, it's okay. I just woke up, anyways." I replied.

"Ah, well, that's good." Said Jack. "How'd you sleep?"

I was tempted to tell him about the weird dream, but it would only strike more fear into our lives. First it was his nightmare, and now I'm experiencing the same thing? Strangely enough, both of us were involved in each other's nightmares. It much be a foreshadowing of some kind; I'm afraid that's what it is…

"Elsa?" Jack's voice reeled me back to reality, and I looked at his slightly worried face.

"Good… I slept well." I smiled at him, weakly. "And you?"

He groaned, pushing a hand through his hair. "Not that good. I forgot how loudly Santa snores…"

I giggled softly. "Sorry about that."

"Nah, it's fine, I guess." He said, grinning. "I heard breakfast is being served just down the hall. Would you like to come?"

"Sure." I wasn't that hungry, but I just wanted to be with Jack.

"Where's Anna and Mia?" he asked, looking over my shoulder and into the room.

"Still asleep. I'm sure they'll come down eventually, when they wake. Now, come on, let's go." I said and closed the door behind me. We began walking down the dim hallway that smelled of something rotten, listening to nothing but the echoing of our footsteps.

* * *

Dusk came quicker that I had expected, and I found myself back in the small bedroom, pulling the icy blue dress from my bag. Today consisted of a short time of planning for the upcoming mission and overall nothing. This bureau may be a bit more spacious than the one in Arendelle, but it was nowhere near as fun.

Anna and Mia accompanied me in the room, gazing over the brilliant gown.

"Ooh, it's so pretty!" Mia exclaimed.

"Is that the one Mom gave you?" Anna asked.

"Yeah." I responded, sadly.

She came up and patted my shoulder, smiling. "I'm glad you're putting it to use, at least." I smiled thinly and nodded as I went over to pick it up from the bed.

"Turn away, children," I said, comically. "I have to get into this thing." Anna and Mia both snickered, turning away so that their backs were to me. They started muttering to each other, but I was so focused on pulling the dress on to notice. Once it was on, I smoothed out any creases and stepped into the glass-like heels. The dress was a good fit, though a bit tight. It was embarrassing to say, but it made my bosom look slightly bigger.

"How do I look?" I said to Anna and Mia, and they whipped around, but only to stare with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

"Oh my God, you're gorgeous!" Anna spoke her mind enthusiastically. "How are you going to do your hair?"

I frowned, running my fingers through my pale blonde mane, which was now out of its braid and loose. "I don't know. What do you think?"

"I think you should just leave it down. Looks more natural." Mia suggested, and I nodded.

"Yay! You look perfect, Elsa." Anna beamed. "But wait, you need one more thing…" She ran to her bag and dug through it, bringing out two items at last: a small box and an even smaller bristle that looked like a paintbrush. "This is make-up. It'll conceal that nasty scar of yours," she motioned to my cheek. "And also bring out your eyes."

"Wait, where'd you get that?" I eyed the items in her hands skeptically.

"I brought it along. I've always had this, but I just never applied it."

"Why would I need to conceal my scar?" I asked.

"You're posing as an aristocrat, right? Well, rich people don't have scars simply because they don't often get into fights. If they see your scar, they're going to become suspicious." Anna said as she opened the box and dabbed the brush into the skin-colored powder.

"You're right. Go ahead, put it on."

She stroked the brush onto my cheek, smudging it over that spot where my scar was, and also inflicting tingles in the process. After applying a bit more onto my face, she stood back and admired me as if I was a statue sculpted by her. "And _voila_! You're done."

"I'll go get Jack!" Mia said, running out of the door. I felt the color drain from my cheeks. God knows how he's going to react…

"There's a mirror right here," Said Anna, looking into the wall. "Wanna look at yourself?" I scuttled over, trying my hardest not to trip and fall from the heels, and peered into the piece of reflective, dirtied glass. Anna was absolutely right, I was gorgeous. Never have I ever considered myself attractive, but the way I looked at the moment made me think otherwise.

The door opened and Mia led Jack into the room. I stared, eyes bulging, at his current appearance. The suit, made up of the blue jacket, dark pants, white undershirt, and tie, fitted him gloriously. His usually disheveled brown hair was neatly combed down, and the whiskers on his face were shaven, leaving only thin stubble behind. Once he caught sight of me, it was like someone had slapped him across the face, hard. With his eyes widened and face pale, I blushed at the fact of him staring me down.

Mia waved her hand in front of his face and he snapped out of trance, shaking his head. Jack came up to me, at first looking me up and down, and then finally looking into my eyes.

"You look beautiful." He said, but closed his mouth as if he didn't mean to say that. Still, there was a slight rosy color in his cheeks.

I blushed and looked down at my feet. "Thanks."

"Aw, you guys are just too cute!" Anna chimed.

"Anna!" I hissed, glaring at her from the side.

"What?" she looked at me, dumbfounded, and then continued to say, "Hold on, aren't you guys supposed to wear your hidden blades?"

"Why? I thought we couldn't kill anymore." Jack said.

"Well, you never know. You may need to defend yourself." Said Anna, shrugging her shoulders.

"Elsa and I know how to fight unarmed, right?" He glanced at me and I nodded in agreement. "Besides, the blades would be noticeable through her dress sleeves." I looked at my arms, which were covered in thin, light blue fabric. Yeah, you could definitely spot a weapon hidden in there.

"Hmm, alright. I trust you guys." Anna said, rubbing the back of her neck.

There was a sharp knock on the door and it swung open to reveal Santa. He bounded in, looking as big and broad as ever. He acknowledged me and whistled, "Wow, you look stunning, lass."

"Thank you." I smiled at the jolly man. He then bent down to Jack's level, whispering something into his ear that made him flush dark red.

"Anyways, I came here not to compliment, though you both look very nice," Santa said. "Your ride to the estate is ready."

"Are we riding on horseback there?" Jack asked.

"Nope, but Anna and Mia are. You and Elsa will be taking a railcar there."

Jack nodded, but I just stared at Santa oddly. "What's that?"

"Just imagine a carriage but on a railroad. It's what most of the rich use for transportation." Santa responded. "You should be heading off. Don't want to arrive late now, hmm?"

"Right." Jack began walking to the door, motioning for me to follow. We moved out of the room and started down the hallway, towards Corvo's office in case he had anything new to tell us, or advice for the objective. This was my first time wearing heels and I was not doing so well. I went slowly, making sure that I didn't fall, and then when I did walk normally, I ended up stumbling. Jack chuckled and I shot him a glare.

"Shut up, you're not the one wearing heels – or a dress!" I huffed, pulling the cape of my dress up.

"Oh, trust me. These pants are so tight…" He plucked at the cottony elastic and groaned as it slapped back into place. As we rounded the corner, Corvo was standing right outside of his office, waiting with no one else in sight.

"My, my, don't you two look spiffy." He said, giving us a small smile. "I'm glad you came by. I wanted to see you off, and also show you another passage to take to the surface."

"We're not going through the sewers?" Jack said.

"You kidding? That'll only soil your pretty outfits. There's a different tunnel, one that is not filled with sewerage. Come, follow me." Corvo lead us down the hall and to a wooden door with a bar. He lifted the lock and opened the door. "Unfortunately, I can't accompany, but I'm sure you can find your way out. The railcar should be outside; it's automated, so just get in and pull the lever. Remember, act normal and focus on the situation. Good luck."

Jack and I both bid him farewell and entered the darkness of the tunnel. We walk for a good few minutes and finally ascend to upper ground. The night was calm and breezy, with a crescent moon sitting high in the black blanket of stars. The land around us was flat, earthy, and with no tall building or buzzing activity, like what we saw in Prochnost's city, in sight. Right there, posed upon the railroad, was a rather small, dark-tinted vehicle. I've never seen anything like it, especially since horseback was my only known transportation.

"Well, off we go." Jack muttered as he approached the railcar and opened the door. "Ladies first." He winked at me.

"What a gentleman." I said, blushing lightly, and heaved myself into the car. It was a bit cramp, but the seats offered much space with velvet leather and a squishy interior. I took a seat, keeping my legs together considering the fact that I could flash Jack, and watched as he plopped down beside me.

"Huh, where is that thing… oh here." He pulled down a red level in front and we began rolling forward. I was startled at first, gripping tightly at the seat beneath me. Jack couldn't help but laugh at me, and I returned it with an elbow to his ribs.

The ride was smooth and took about twenty minutes. Jack and I traded words here and there, but we were mainly quiet. I suspected he was just as nervous as I was. I felt the railcar take a slight turn and I peered out of the window. We were steadily advancing upon our destination: the Boyle estate. It was a giant mansion, connected by several smaller buildings and overall had a beautifully cut hedge around most of the structure. From what I could see, it was enlightened with lively movement and many other partygoers.

The car slowly came to a stop and almost immediately, the door swung open. A brutish man in a dark, dignified uniform was holding it open, and extended a hand to me.

"Oh, why thank you." I put on my most cheery voice and took his hand, sliding out of the vehicle. Jack followed after me. We walked closely as the entrance to the estate enlarged. Aristocratic couples, as well as groups, were flooding into the building, stopping briefly to check in with the doorman.

When we got closer to the entrance, the doorman said, "Mister, milady, may I see your invitations?"

"Of course!" Jack rummaged through the pocket of his tailcoat and pulled them out. They were glossy pieces of paper decorated with fancy handwriting. It was remarkable how Hugh managed to make these things look like actual invitations. The doorman took the papers, skimmed over them, and handed it back with a genuine smile. "Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Frost. I hope you enjoy the party."

"Thank you, good sir." Jack gave a small bow and we continued into the mansion. I took the opportunity to hold onto Jack's arm with both hands; we were pretending to be married couple, after all. As soon as we stepped into the ballroom, I became enthralled by the very sight before me. Men and women of all shapes, sizes, and colors danced throughout the room; some strayed off to the side, talking or sipping an alcoholic beverage. Everyone was dressed in dazzling clothing, whether it was suits on the men or long, exquisite dresses on the women. My head cranked left and right, up and down, to be able to see everything.

There was a buffet table full of exotic foods, drinks, and even an ice sculpture of what seemed to be an angel. A small orchestra made up of stringed and woodwind instruments played off in the distance. The atmosphere was full of noises ranging from excited laughter to music, and as I lifted my head upwards, I saw a large, beautiful chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Wow, this is amazing." I breathed out.

"It's not bad." Jack shrugged. He looked off and went rigid. "Uh oh, looks like this place is well guarded." He was right. There were armed guards standing along the walls of the entire room. I could pick out at least five by only looking at one side.

"Let's just hope they don't suspect anything from us." I said and kept my eyes locked forward.

"Jack! Elsa!" Someone sharply hissed in our direction. I turned and saw a young woman standing in one of the more concealed corners, gesturing for us to come over. Jack glanced at me dubiously, but started walking over to the woman, with me still clinging to his arm. When we were in front of her, I could see her more clearly: she wore a red dress, not too fancy but just right, and her brown hair was up in a tight bun.

"Are you Corvo's informant?" Jack whispered.

"Indeed," she nodded. "My name's Emily. Anyways, I was sent to give you some hints and tricks about Duke. He's a short, old man with a fat mustache – you'll see him momentarily – and he is usually always seen with a bodyguard or two. Sometimes he'll stray away from any guards, giving you the advantage on him. Maybe you could create a diversion and somehow lure him into the cellars. It's all up to you, though."

"Okay, seems easy enough." Jack smirked, and I nodded.

"Duke's not out yet. I advise that you pretend to enjoy the party, perhaps dance around a bit, and wait for him to arrive. Don't let the guards catch you either." Emily said.

"Dance?" Jack grimaced. I shot him an annoyed look.

"Yeah, _dance,_ ever done it before?" Emily retorted. "Well, I'm going to let you two loose. Have fun." And with that, she disappeared into the crowd like it was dense fog.

"Alright, so what now?" I said as I looked around.

"How about a dance?" Jack took a step back and stretched out an arm, his hand enticing me. I hesitated at first, but then offered a smile and took his hand. We shifted to the dance floor, where the music was as strong and enchanting as ever. With his hand still gripping mine, he settled the other on my waist and pulled me close to the point where we were meshed together. Heat flooded my face, in my ears, but as I stared into his eyes, I relaxed for the moment. I placed my hand on his shoulder and we began dancing. I think it was called a waltz.

The way we moved was at first wobbly – much due to both of our inexperience with dancing – but soon Jack directed his steps in rhythm with the music, and I followed his lead. Time seemed to freeze when I decided to lift my face, our eyes melting into each other. A few steps to the left later, and his face was so close to mine that I could see the rough stubble on his chin, smell the juniper scent from his hair. And then, like that, his lips were on mine.

I don't know when, or how, it happened because I was so caught up in the moment, but I didn't jerk away from the kiss. I think it lasted only a few seconds until Jack broke away. He looked extremely flustered with widened eyes and a reddened face.

"I-I'm so sorry about that." He stuttered.

"There's no need to apologize." I gave him a reassuring smile. But there was this odd sensation in my core that just burned with need. The need for more of him. I pushed the thought out of my cluttered mind and turned my gaze to sweep around the ballroom. Good timing, too, because I immediately spotted the crowd of nicely-dressed aristocrats parting to reveal a smaller, old man with two other guards flanking him.

"Look! It's Duke." I said to Jack in a low voice.

"Good, let's go cage this bastard." He replied, taking a couple steps forward.

"Wait!" I grabbed his arm, pulling him back to my side. "We can't just parade up and drag him to the cellars."

"Did you hear?" The worried, frantic whisper of a woman caught my attention and I glanced over at a huddle of maids. They were standing some paces away, trading words with each other like secrets. I took Jack's hand and led him closer to the maids, but not too close to have them suspect us of eavesdropping.

"Wha-?" Jack began, but I hushed him, gesturing with my head to the group of women.

"Hear what?" Another maid responded.

"There's a killer – perhaps _killers – _lurking here, sniffing around for bloodshed. I think they're Assassins."

The mad gasped. "Assassins? Oh dear God… Who're they after?"

"I do believe it's Duke."

I stopped listening right there and looked at Jack. "You hear that?"

He nodded. "What's the plan?"

"Well… okay, I got it: we could go up to Duke, after his bodyguards have dispersed, and warn him about the Assassin who is after him. Maybe that'll convince him to take refuge in the cellars."

"You think it'll work?" Jack said.

I shrugged. "It's worth a try." Without another word, we steadily began weaving through the dense horde of people, toward Duke. He was currently chatting with another man, one wearing clothes just as fancy and gleaming as the Duke himself, while his bodyguards stood around, vigilante and intimidating. There was a tap on my shoulder, and, thinking it was Jack, swiveled around to scold him for interrupting my concentration, but instead it was Emily. She looked the same except for a wine glass pinched between her fingers.

"You need the guards to go?" she asked, quietly.

I nodded, while saying, "Yeah, that would be helpful."

"Count on me. See you guys around later." She winked before whisking off. As she approached one of the guards, she held the wine glass higher in her grip and launched it at the nearest bodyguard. It struck him in the back, shattering into many tiny shards. The people around them jumped back in shock, either staring or cowering from the intrusion. The guard whirled around to confront Emily, hand shooting to the handle of his sheathed sword, but she had disappeared, a flash of red through the crowd. For a girl in heels, she sure could make an exit. Both guards pursued her, soon expanding as more joined them, leaving poor Duke behind.

However, he stood his ground, but looked twice as confused as everyone else. The man who he was previously talking to was gone. This was it. Now, now! I gently shoved Jack, signaling it was our time to move in, and he hurried forward, with me following closely.

"Mr. Weselton!" Jack said, pretending to pant as if we were running. "Sir, I have grave news!"

"Who are you?" Duke narrowed his beady eyes at him.

"That doesn't matter! Your life is in danger. There are Assassins in this very room, hunting you down!"

"What?" Duke now looked pale and scared.

"I was informed by a group of maids who claimed they've witnessed it. Go, you must hide!" Jack said with a wary voice. I admit, he was a very good actor, and excellent at improvising.

With a quick nod, he turned away and scuttled to the very back of the ballroom. Jack and I followed, quickening our steps as Duke ducked into the doorframe holed into the wall. We entered, making sure to keep him in our line-of-view. The hallway, which was lighted by candles lining the painted wall, gradually descended lower. Duke's rapid footsteps echoed against the stone ground, and then there was the sound of a door slamming shut. We arrived at a wooden door, standing still and allowing the silence to sink in as we listened.

Duke grunting and yelling in a struggle, and curses – which sounded very much like Anna – on the other side, told me that our plan had worked. Jack placed a hand on the door and leaned his weight forward, grinning crookedly at me, and I smiled back.


	12. Chapter 11

**Thanks to Dr. Archangel for writing this chapter.**

* * *

When I reach the cellars with Jack at my side, we watch Mia and Anna tie up a gagged Duke. I inhale through my nose and breathe out; the smell within this place is strangely more pleasant than on the streets of Dunwell, something you wouldn't expect. It doesn't surprise me though. The rich roll around in their enormous piles of money and laugh in the faces of the poor. If only they contributed to their city, the rat plague would be gone. It sickens me but that's just how life goes, unfortunately.

"Alright, guys," I spoke up to Mia and Anna who stand before Duke, looking confident. "Knock him out and prep him for extraction." Anna gives a small salute and takes the club from her belt. She whacks Duke in the head and he blackens out, his head lolling to the side.

"So how do we get out of here?" Jack said, and I just look at him with a slight shrug. I honestly have not thought about it. There's sudden movement from the dark corners of the cellar. I notice a shadow form the corner of my eye and as I turned my head to react, a voice from the figure broke the silence.

"Taken care of." We all jump, even me, as the person emerges from the shadows, revealing the dark-haired, red-dressed Emily.

"Do you really have to keep on doing that?" Jack blurted out with surprise coating his words. I hear Mia and Anna laugh together, and I cover my mouth with a hand as I giggle at him. He blushes at our ridicule.

"How did you take care of our transport?" I asked as the hilarity died down.

"There's a waterway deeper in the cellars. Our boatman should be down there by now." Emily responded, making her way pass us. I turn to glance at Jack, along with Anna and Mia, and he hunches his shoulders in agreement and follows after Emily. We move downstairs and I observe the littlest things around us; evidence of rats mask the ground, like their droppings and paw prints. There's the faint stench of dirty rodents and sea water. After descending from spirals stairs, we finally arrive at the waterway. It's dim-lighted and the smell of rotting mildew burns my nostrils.

Upon the water, on a small boat, is a man in a yellow jacket. He looks much older than any of us here and has very thick sideburns.

"Ahoy, children. I'm Samuel." He greets us with a bow of his head. "Now then, ladies first, then Duke and the young man in blue."

"Name's Jack Frost, for the record, Samuel." Jack points out.

"Well in the case, keep watch as we set sail." Samuel said with a smirk.

"Roger." Jack gives a poor salute, and turns to keep watch as ordered.

As the boat lurches forward and we travel down the stream for a bit, it's silent for the most part. At first I think we're alone, but then the chattering of nearby guards changes my mind. From the sound of it, there are only two of them. They need to go since our presence could alarm them. Jack stands up in preparation to take action against the guards.

"Hey Jack, take this for help." Samuel hands him a crossbow pistol. The gun glints my way and I see a sleep dart inside the chamber. "Tranquilize one and then choke the other one with your hands. Got it?" He whispered and Jack only nodded in response.

Jack looked at me and gestures for me to 'stay put' with his hands. I have to force myself to stay seated as Jack leapt from the boat and underneath the stairs. From then on he disappears from my sight. I direct my eyes to my feet, listening intently to the lap of the river's water or the soft rustle of the wind. After a moment, I hear the thud of heavy mass upon the ground and light footsteps as Jack reappears. Relief washes over me, and I bet the others feel it too. Jack steps back into the rickety boat and we proceed forward again.

We sail through a dark tunnel with only the front of lights on the boat to safely guide us. All is silent during that time; there's no sound except for our breathing and the whoosh of water from Samuel's oar casting. The smells of this tunnel, moldy water and something fishy, is starting to make me nauseous. I'm grateful as we escape the dank passage and into a lovely sight, even for this plagued city. The night sky was the perfect blend of dark and twinkling stars. Moonlight streamed down in silver rays and reflected on the calm waters.

For the first time in a very long time, I actually found peace. I glanced over and took notice of Jack gazing up as well. I reached over, placing my hand within his. There was a burst of light in the sky, fireworks, to be exact. They sprung up in swirls and ribbons of various colors; red, green, yellow, blue, purple, gold, and silver all painted the darkness with their beautiful tendrils. It was loud, but magical. Jack squeezed my hand as we watched, igniting feelings of warmth and yearning within me. I smile and slightly lean into him.

I'm glad I met Jack. When I'm around him, I feel… different. It's a good different, though. Like the feeling of hot and cold churning in the pit of your stomach. Is this love? I'd like to believe so.

As we sailed back to the bureau, we came across a bar called the "Hound Pitts Pub".

"Samuel, what are we doing here?" Anna asked.

"Are we here for a drink?" Mia included her own thoughts.

"Or is this another way to the bureau?" I added in.

"Yes, yes, and yes." Samuel answers all three questions. "After a good mission this simple, I really need a drink." He concurred.

"Oh yeah, I didn't even get a shot over in that party." Jack spoke up. I see him look back at Emily; she's silent as she stares up at the night sky. "You alright, Emily?" He shouted to her.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I just can't get wait to get back to the bureau, and get out of this dress, and into my suit." She responded in a rather nervous tone. I give Jack a look, wondering why in the world he was worried about Emily. I mean, she's a nice girl, but really? He turns back to me and I just raise an eyebrow, my lips lifting into a vexed smirk.

"I just asked if she was okay, that's all." He reassured, but that still didn't change anything. With a small huff, he gave me a peck on my brow and I think a smile came along fairly quickly.

We soon docked at the beach and filed out of the boat which surprisingly held us all. As we made it to the front door of the pub, Corvo was waiting for us on the other side of the door.

"Father!" Emily runs at Corvo and they embrace lovingly. I smile at this tender moment. It's been awhile since I've witnessed much family affection. Anna is the only family I have left and though we share a strong sisterly bond, I can't help but miss our parents from time to time. I glance over at Jack who looks oddly struck. He's not moving or reacting after a bit, so I intervene.

"Jack. Jack!" I snapped him out of his daydreaming.

"Sorry." He shrugged his daze off like an old coat.

"Oh my, where are my manners," Corvo exclaimed. "Please come in. Enjoy a drink."

When we walk into the bar, a few masked Assassins offered us all drinks. I gladly took a glass full of violet liquid. I sip at the mysterious alcohol, admiring the sharp kick it brought. It wasn't as strong as the brandy, which I was thankful for, but it definitely spiced up my taste buds. Anna and Mia go to gossip with a group of maids, while Jack and I move outside for some fun with the shooting range. Corvo brought us here through the back door. The two of us take the loaded crossbows, and we fire down the sights on the one target.

"Whoever's closest to the bull's eye, buys the first round." I wagered. I admit, my marksmanship wasn't the best, at least not as good as Anna's, but I couldn't just bullshit this challenge. I grip the handle of my crossbow tighter and look from my bolt to Jack's; his is blue and mine is red.

"Three…two…one, fire." Corvo signaled and we both fired. As more and more bolts were shot, I realized that it would be me who was going to pay.

"Haha!" Jack cheered. I looked at him in confusion. "Did you forget who I was before I joined the Creed?"

I looked away for a moment before remembering. "Oh yeah, Coldshot."

"You wanna split the check?" he offered and I smiled to that.

Suddenly, as if he heard our conversation, Santa stepped in and said, "You do realize that these drinks are on the house, right?"

We both look at him with shocked faces.

"Oh well," Jack finally spoke. "I really need a drink now."

"Oh, don't forget about me." I catch up behind him as we head back into the bar. After about two hours of endless cheers and drinks, the party slowly died out. Assassins and maids leave the bureau one at a time, and all who was left was me, Jack, Anna, Mia, Santa, Daud, Corvo, and Emily.

"Anyway, now that that's out of the way, we need to discuss the plans for tomorrow; Samuel has taken the Duke in a dog kennel. That'll be his home until he's no use to us anymore." Corvo addressed to all of us.

"And what's the plan?" Anna piped up.

"The plan…" Daud stepped in, "is that we need information on the whereabouts of a cure to the Rat plague, and the Duke is aware of the possibility."

"Okay." I added. "So, tomorrow, we'll interrogate him, and that's it? What do we do to him after that?"

"Well, we can't kill him, which we visitors should know about by now." Jack pointed out, and we all nod in agreement.

"Okay… could I help on this? I was a torturer's assistant before becoming an Assassin." Mia volunteered.

"Alright, but nothing too lethal, we need him alive." Corvo permitted her.

I see Mia shudder at the thought, but then she looks at Jack, who gives a reassuring nod. I didn't know much about Mia's past; the revelation of her previously being a torturer's assistant is just awful. But I do believe that she can get this job done. She's a strong woman, after all. I've seen it.

"Alright everyone, we'll need to get some sleep now, I know I do. OHhoho!" Santa yawned with a laugh. Everyone headed down to the underground bureau for the night, but Santa stopped Jack and I before we could follow. "Oh wait, Jack, I almost forgot. I managed to let you and Elsa stay in the room upstairs for tonight."

"What!" Jack blurted, his face growing red. He looks at me, and I'm blushing as well to the news, but I'm silent.

"Don't worry, I can take it back – "

"No, no, that's fine." I burst out. It was really a generous thing for Santa to do and honestly, I actually like the idea of it. Jack looks at me again and I just nudge him gently with an elbow.

"Thanks, I guess." Jack thanks him in a tone that was vaguely uneasy.

"Nothing to it, my friend, there is nothing in this country money cannot buy. Well, good night." Santa starts to make his way down stairs into the bureau. "Oh, I almost forgot, the fourth door on the third floor is your room, and your stuff's already there." He said before officially leaving the pub.


End file.
